Pakistani handicrafts are losing their foothold in international markets.

There was a 78 per cent decline in handicraft exports during the first six months of the current fiscal, Federal Bureau of Statistics reported.

Handicraft exports fell to Rs74 million a fall of Rs260 million compared to Rs334 million worth of handicrafts exported during July-December 2005-2006.

A zero figure questioned the future of Pak handicrafts as December 2006 saw no exports made under this head a 100 per cent decline compared to Rs52 million worth of handicrafts exported in December 2005.

Pakistan exports marble, wood, carpet, mirror and glass, shoes, embroidery, metal and clay pots and many other miscellaneous handmade items to USA, Europe, Middle East and Far East. Read more »

Chiniot has the potential to become a world-class furniture manufacturing centre, said Dario Corbetta, head of the Italian furniture manufacturing association, ACIMAL, after visiting a cluster of Pakistan’s five major furniture manufacturers.

According to a press release, Dario Corbetta is visiting Pakistan to explore avenues of collaboration as well as the possibility of setting up a woodworking institute in the country similar to the one established in the Indian city of Bangalore. Read more »

KARACHI: The business of furniture manufacturing has gone into full swing with the resumption of marriage season as parents give their daughters different types of furniture sets at the time of wedding.

According to the tradition, people spend a big amount on the purchase of furniture for dowry purpose, boosting the sales of furniture manufacturers and traders during the months from Shaaban till Zilhaj.

There are different types of furniture available in the market like Deco paint, particle wood (polish) and textured (wrought iron). However, furniture of Deco paint is highly popular, which has about 90 per cent share in the market. Read more »

The country has missed its furniture export target of $22 million by $3 million, set for the last fiscal year (2005-06) due to increased raw material costs and inactive marketing strategy on the international front, trade sources told Business Recorder on Saturday.

According to the available statistics, country’s furniture exports have hardly reached $19 million mark by the end of the last financial year due to several impediments faced by this industry. “During the FY05, we had achieved the set target of $18 million and were quite optimistic and confident that we would achieve $22 million export target at the end of June 2006, however, our efforts proved futile,” said a leading furniture exporter.

He said during early days of FY06, a number of exporters had recommended the government regarding some intricacies and bottlenecks, which are still being faced by the industry. “If the government should have formulated and adopted a comprehensive strategy to get boost to the furniture exports in line with our recommendations, the target would have definitely been attained,” he pointed out. Read more »

China may be Pakistan’s strongest ally as far as transfer of weapons and modern scientific technology is concerned, but when it comes to business, the Chinese may be a little difficult to deal with.

If Pakistan’s woodcraft industry is to go by, Chinese furniture flooding Pakistani markets is pushing local industry to the verge of collapse, market sources said during a random survey.

“Around 70 per cent locally made office furniture has been wiped out of the market by Chinese products,” Chairman Alliance of Arambagh Furniture Markets Atiq Mir said. Read more »