The Japan Textile Importers Association having sensed Japan was the third largest garment importer of the world following USA and Germany and offered huge potential for Pakistan’s exporters. Japanese garment buyers invited Pakistani producers to tap their market as they intend reduce dependency on China, the largest supplier worldwide.

Japan Textile Importers Association in a presentation to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has underlined the business opportunities and presented the guidelines for tapping the Japanese market.

Japanese textile imports stood at 4.003 Yen trillion out of which Pakistan’s exports to Japan stood at mere 9.34 billion Yen comprising 0.23 percent of their total imports in 2013.

Chinese garments which constituted 84 percent of Japan’s import has reduced to 75.6 percent in 2013, there is a gradual decline see in Japanese import from China with labour cost and price of material in China is on the rise. On the other hand, Japan’s share of ASEAN surged by 8.4 percent.

Japanese buyers have asked TDAP to advise Pakistan’s producers to improve proposition ability on fabric, accessory, pattern, design, sewing technique, interlining, and thread with special emphasis on human resource development as quality standard of Japanese garments is the most severe in the world.

The Pakistan suppliers needs not only to understand the Japanese market quality/price/design etc; but exhibit at fairs and participate in International Fashion Fair every January and July; Interior lifestyle Tokyo every June; and improve public relations of Pakistan cotton. In fact, the Pakistan suppliers needs to understand Japanese business rules and circumstances.

Japan is a very promising market and it is to do with the prevalence of fast fashion there. Japan can emerges as strong destination for garment exports