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EU likely to suspend anti-dumping duty on Pak bed-linen exports
12/30/2005
ISLAMABAD, Dec 29 (APP): Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan said recently, the European Union EU member states are expected to vote for suspension of anti-dumping duty on Pakistan's bed-linen exports.
The European Commission had earlier lowered its proposal of the levy to 7.6 per cent in December 2005, but President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz requested the EU and European Cpmmission member states to suspend the duty after the October 8 devastating earthquake, Humayun Akhtar told a press conference.
He said a trade diplomacy was launched with European Union (EU) member states to suspend the anti-dumping duty and it is expected that EU member states will vote on the suspension of duty in January.
"As a result of joint efforts of the government and exporters, the anti-dumping duty on bed-linen has not only been lowered but the case for suspension of duty has been strengthened", he added.
He said the government evolved a strategy in consultation with Pakistani bed linen exporters to counter the Eurocoton's request of 45 per cent which substantially reduced anti-dumping margin of 13.1 per cent imposed by the EC in March 2004.
In 2004 Pakistan intensified its lobbying with EU member states to withdraw this levy. The review resulted in a lower proposed anti-dumping duty of 9.9 per cent against 13.1 per cent in September this year, he added.
In October 2002, he said, the Eurocoton (textile association in the EU) lodged a complaint with the European Commission (EC) alleging dumping by Pakistani bed linen exporters.
Commerce Minister said Pakistan immediately launched efforts and managed to engage in trade diplomacy with the EC and held several interactions with EC and ED members states at various level during 2003 and 2004.
He said several meetings were held with his EC counterparts on this issue to prove that Pakistani exporters were not dumping bed sheets and in any case, due to the dislocation of substantial number of workers from this industry, bed linen from Pakistan will not be a source of injury to the EU industry.
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