By Ayesha Saba

Pakistan’s home textile and made-up article exports reached $5.705 billion in FY2025-26, with towels and bed linen remaining the leading products as overseas demand increasingly shifts towards microfiber, digitally printed and embellished products.

According to the Pakistan Textile Council’s Annual Export Performance Report: Pakistan’s Textile & Apparel Exports FY26, available with Wealth Pakistan, exports under Chapter 63 increased from $5.670 billion in FY2024-25 to $5.705 billion in FY2025-26, maintaining its status  as the country’s largest value-added textile export sector.

The latest figure also represents a sustained recovery from $5.084 billion in FY2022-23 and $5.229 billion in FY2023-24, although exports remained below the $5.958 billion recorded in FY2021-22.

Cotton towels were the biggest individual export item in the category, generating $1.001 billion in FY2025-26, compared with $1.011 billion a year earlier.

Cotton mill-made bed sheets were the second-largest product, with exports increasing to $503 million from $465 million, while exports of cotton mill-made bed covers rose slightly to $391 million from $385 million.

Performance across other bed-linen categories was mixed. Handloom bed-sheet exports declined to $377 million from $401 million, while other cotton bed-linen exports fell to $371 million from $418 million.

Knitted or crocheted bed-sheet exports eased to $327 million from $333 million, while exports of worn clothing and other worn articles increased to $311 million from $282 million.

Beyond the headline figures, the report points to a change in the type of home-textile products sought by international buyers.

According to industry insights included in the report, demand for made-ups is shifting rather than shrinking, with towel preferences moving from basic 100% cotton products towards microfiber, digitally printed and embellished products.

Mattress protectors continue to perform as a reliable product line, contrasting with a contraction in demand for cotton bed linen in some segments.

The changing product mix is significant for Pakistan because home textiles and made-ups form a major part of the country’s increasingly value-added textile export structure.

Value-added apparel and home textile products under Chapters 61-63 generated $14.98 billion in FY2025-26, accounting for 83.2% of total textile and apparel exports, compared with a 77% share five years earlier.

Major overseas markets continue to show substantial demand for Pakistan’s home textiles. In the European Union, cotton towels generated $428 million, cotton mill-made bed sheets $279 million and cotton mill-made bed covers $278 million during FY2025-26.

In the United States, cotton towel exports increased 2.5% to $355 million, although cotton mill-made bed sheets declined 3.9% to $118 million.

The United Kingdom presented a more mixed picture. Cotton mill-made bed-sheet exports surged 31.8% to $64 million, while cotton towels fell 6.2% to $99 million and other cotton bed linen declined 28.9% to $40 million.

The figures indicate that traditional items such as towels and bed linen continue to anchor Pakistan’s home-textile exports, while changing buyer preferences elevate the role of  differentiated and higher-value products such as microfiber, printed and embellished textiles.

Credit: INP-WealthPk