Pakistan Cotton Fashion Apparel Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCFAMEA) has called upon the government to negotiate with EU to defer imposition of import duty on textile goods.
In an appeal made to Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar, the chairman of PCFAMEA, Dr Shahzad Arshad, has urged the government to negotiate with EU for extending the deadline of re-imposing import duty, approximately 11 percent, on all textile goods from Pakistan to European Union countries.
He termed the present situation most critical and difficult for Pakistan's exporters as competition for marketing of textile goods in the international market had reached its peak.
He said that apparel industry is the most value-added of the textile sector and added that this sector was facing the toughest competition from the neighbouring countries, specially from China.
He added that international customers of apparel, specially from the EU countries, appear reluctant to place orders in Pakistan due to the consideration of 11 percent import duty re-imposition on all textile goods reaching any European Union port from January 1, 2005.
In this perspective, he reiterated that the government should immediately try to renegotiate with EU for deferring implementation of 11 percent import duty on textile goods exports from Pakistan to EU's countries.
Otherwise, he said, the apparel exporters of Pakistan would not be in a position to cope with the price competition and the garment industry of the country might face a crisis like situation.