Hair-Cut Pays Off: Pakistan Exports Over 100,000 Kg Human Hair To Chinese Fashion Industry In Last Five Years

Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Textile revealed to the National Assembly that the country had exported about 105,461 kg of human hair to China in the last five years, reports The Economic Times. The value of the unusual export is estimated to be $132,000.

China has seen an uptick in the demand for human hair due to a fast-growing makeup industry, which provides fashionable wigs to consumers.

As per an expert on the beauty segment, A M Chauhan, locally made hair extensions and accessories are being increasingly overtaken by corporate made products. He estimates that exporters in Pakistan buy the hair at a rate of 5,000 to 6,000 Pakistani rupees per kg from hair salons.

Hair of good quality is also exported to the US and Japan to meet the demand of their respective entertainment industries. However, it is not just a one way business, as finished products, wigs and hair extensions, are also imported from abroad into Pakistan.