US embargo on Pakistani shop towel exports

The USA has imposed embargo on the export of shop towel falling under Category 369(S) from Pakistan with immediate effect. The information about the embargo has been conveyed to the Towel Manufacturers Association (TMA) by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) through a fax, dated October 26, that as per US Website the US Customs have invoked embargo on Cat-369 (S).
The EPB requested the TMA Chairman to advise his members immediately not to make any shipments, as those would face the embargo.
The message said that the Minister of Commerce was being asked to request the US authorities for early release of the consignments held at the US ports due to the injunction.
Meanwhile, TMA Vice-Chairman for Sindh and Balochistan Zone Syed Muzammil Hussain quoted the utilisation figures in the category under question from the EPB website and said the figures showed the quantity utilised (Base level) at 88.27 percent.
Whereas the quantity utilised (adjusted level) stood at 86.81 percent leaving 13 percent utilisation balance in Shop Towel category, he added.
He expressed surprise over the difference in utilisation figures posted on the US Customs website and the EPB website and said the utilisation figures were issued on the basis of visa issued by the EPB for every export shipments while the US Customs formulate its figures on the basis of clearance of consignments at the US ports.
He said the data on the number of visas specifying quantity issued for the shipments was presently transmitted to the US Customs immediately through an electronic system called Elvis, which was inaugurated by the Commerce Minister a few years ago.
Muzammil pointed out that the position of held up consignments of Shop towel at the US ports would be worsen after the shipments presently in the pipeline arrived there.
He described the embargo two months ahead of the total quota abolition a great setback for towel exports and urged the Commerce Minister to urgently contact the US government for the release of the held up shipments.
He directed the EPB to match its utilisation figures with the US Customs so that the country was not deprived of 13 percent export in Shop Towel due to the mistakes in calculation.