Recently, Pakistan officially launched a special train for textile raw materials connecting Karachi to Guangzhou, China. The commissioning of this new cross-border logistics corridor not only injects new momentum into the cooperation of the China-Pakistan textile industry chain but also reshapes the traditional pattern of cross-border transportation of textile raw materials in Asia with the dual advantages of “timeliness and cost-effectiveness”, exerting a far-reaching impact on the textile foreign trade markets of both countries and even the world.
In terms of core transportation advantages, this special train has achieved a key breakthrough in “speed and cost”. Its total travel time is only 12 days. Compared with the average 30-35 day voyage of traditional sea freight from Karachi Port to Guangzhou Port, the transportation efficiency is directly shortened by nearly 60%, significantly compressing the in-transit cycle of textile raw materials. More notably, while improving timeliness, the freight cost of the special train is 12% lower than that of sea freight, breaking the logistics inertia that “high timeliness must come with high cost”. Taking the 1,200 tons of cotton yarn carried by the first train as an example, based on the current international average sea freight price of cotton yarn (approximately $200 per ton), the one-way transportation cost can be saved by about $28,800. Moreover, it effectively avoids risks commonly seen in sea freight such as port congestion and weather delays, providing enterprises with more stable logistics support.
From the perspective of trade scale and industrial correlation, the launch of this special train accurately matches the in-depth cooperation needs of the China-Pakistan textile industry. As an important source of cotton yarn imports for China, Pakistan has long accounted for 18% of China’s cotton yarn import market. In 2024, China’s cotton yarn imports from Pakistan reached more than 1.2 million tons, mainly supplying textile industry clusters in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other provinces. Among them, fabric enterprises in Guangzhou and surrounding cities have a particularly high dependence on Pakistani cotton yarn – about 30% of the production of cotton-spun fabrics in the local area requires the use of Pakistani cotton yarn. Due to its moderate fiber length and high dyeing uniformity, Pakistani cotton yarn is a core raw material for manufacturing mid-to-high-end garment fabrics. The 1,200 tons of cotton yarn carried by the first trip of the special train was specifically supplied to more than 10 large-scale fabric merchants in Panyu, Huadu and other areas of Guangzhou, which can meet the production needs of these enterprises for about 15 days. With the regular operation of “one trip per week” in the initial stage, approximately 5,000 tons of cotton yarn will be stably supplied to the Guangzhou market every month in the future, directly reducing the raw material inventory cycle of local fabric enterprises from the original 45 days to 30 days. This helps enterprises reduce capital occupation and optimize production plans. For instance, the person in charge of a Guangzhou fabric enterprise stated that after the inventory cycle is shortened, the company’s working capital turnover rate can be increased by about 30%, enabling it to more flexibly respond to the urgent order needs of brand customers.
In terms of long-term value, the Karachi-Guangzhou special train for textile raw materials also provides a model for the expansion of the China-Pakistan cross-border logistics network. At present, Pakistan plans to gradually expand the transportation categories based on this special train. In the future, it intends to include finished textile products such as home textile fabrics and garment accessories into the transportation scope, building a closed-loop industrial chain of “Pakistani raw material import + Chinese processing and manufacturing + global distribution”. Meanwhile, Chinese logistics enterprises are also exploring the connection of this special train with cross-border corridors such as the China-Europe Railway Express and the China-Laos Railway, forming a textile logistics network covering Asia and radiating Europe. In addition, the launch of this special train will also drive the upgrading of Pakistan’s local textile industry. To meet the stable transportation needs of the special train, Karachi Port in Pakistan has built 2 new dedicated container yards for textile raw materials and upgraded supporting inspection and quarantine facilities. It is expected to drive an increase of approximately 2,000 local jobs related to textile exports, further strengthening its position as an “Asian textile export hub”.
For Chinese textile foreign trade enterprises, the commissioning of this corridor not only reduces the comprehensive cost of raw material procurement but also provides a new option to cope with fluctuations in the international market. Against the current backdrop of the European Union tightening environmental standards for textiles and the United States imposing additional tariffs on Asian garments, a stable raw material supply and an efficient logistics chain will help Chinese textile enterprises adjust their product structure more calmly and enhance their competitiveness in the global value chain.
Post time: Aug-19-2025