Russian Federation Consul General Vladimir P. Mikhaylov has said that there is no discrimination in the textile import into Russia from Pakistan.
In an open letter to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Riaz Ahmed Tata, he recalled that during his visit to the Federation House here on August 4, some businessmen complained that the textile exports from Pakistan were taxed in Russia 33 percent in comparison to five percent for India, Turkey and some European countries.
The Russian Consul General said he had promised to look into the complaint and "now I can give official clarification based on the information, received from Moscow with the assistance of our Trade Representative in Islamabad."
He regretted that the next day of his visit to the Federation House, some Urdu and English language newspapers published quite negative information about the meeting.
Taking into account that there were no representatives of mass media, the only source of such information - "leakage" - could be the Federation.
The Consul General pointed out that "while speaking to me on the matter, both you, Mr. President, and the Chairman of newly formed Pakistan-Russia Business and Economic Committee of the FPCCI Farrukh Sheikh described the articles as incorrect, and promised to publish the clarification.
"As after two weeks, no clarification from the FPCCI was published, I have to do it myself," he added.
He explained that the import of the textile commodities on the territory of the Russian Federation in general was subjected to unified rates of customs duties.
"For the raw textile, the average rate of the base-duties is five percent ad valorem, semi-finished products (thread, yarn, fabrics) 10 to 15 percent and for readymade items (overcoat and under clothes) 20 percent," he added.
"At the same time, Russia grants to the developing countries under the national preference scheme, means that a number of the goods from the above countries the charges are levied at a rate, lower than the base-rate of 25 percent," he said.
Mikhaylov said that from the above listed goods, preferences were related to raw and semi-finished products, and, therefore, the rate of the duties on them would be 3.75 percent and 7.5 percent to 11.25 percent accordingly. "So any charges at a rate of 30-33 percent on the textiles from Pakistan are totally out of question," he explained.
Pakistan, India and Turkey were beneficiaries of the preference scheme of the Russian Federation and the charges on their goods were identical, he said.
The same textile goods from Bangladesh, which was in accordance with the United Nations classification, one of the least developed countries, were not taxed at all with the charges, he added.
The Russian Consul General said the textile commodities, being imported by the Russian Federation from the European (EU) countries, were subjected to the standard (base) level of the customs duties.
"Some special conditions can be provided on the basis of inter-governmental agreements, it means that there is no discrimination of the textile import into Russia from Pakistan," he said.
"Whatsoever and all speculations on the matter," Mikhaylov said, "are either the result of lack of information or deliberate misleading of Pakistani businessmen and public.
"I have the reason to say so because it seems that some people are not satisfied with strengthening of co-operation between Russia and Pakistan and try to use the press to cast aspersions on our bilateral relations," he said.
He advised the Pakistanis, who really wished to start or develop their business with the Russian counterparts and take advantage of both huge Russian import market and qualitative Russian export product, to get information from the Russian embassy or trade mission in Islamabad, the Consulate General in Karachi or other reliable source.
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