KARACHI – Adviser to Prime Minister on Textiles Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig has said that the export of Pakistani textile products to Tunisia and Egypt has declined due to the political turmoil and unrest in the region, but will resume as soon as the situation stabilises.
In an issued statement, he informed that he had received representatives of various textile exporters expressing their concern on the limited exports of textile products to Egypt and Tunisia due to the ongoing turmoil and political unrest in these countries.
“Pakistan exports of textile to Turkey have already been adversely affected due to a proposal to impose safeguard measures on export of Pakistan fabrics and garments entailing an anticipated loss of about $400 million if the anti-dumping duties are imposed,” he said.
America has signed FTA agreements with Morocco and Egypt to import duty free textile products from these countries directly to the US, he noted. Dr Baig was adamant that the fall in current export volumes is a temporary effect and with the stabilisation of the political situation in Tunisia and Egypt, exports would soon pick up again.
Regarding Turkey anti-dumping duties, he said that the government of Pakistan is taking up the matter with Turkish authorities in a bid to take Pakistan off the list of countries on which the imposition of safeguard measures will be applied. He stressed that a delegation headed by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan CEO is already in Ankara in this regard.
