The Russian market of leather garments is of one billion dollars but Pakistan is able to export leather garments of just 1.6 million dollars. This was stated by the Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Plgmea) chairman, Fawad Iiaz Khan, here on Friday. He was of the view that the reason for that paltry share in leather garments market of Russia was due to 'high import tariffs.'
The Plgmea chief further stated that leather garments of around dollars one to two million dollars were exported through Dubai. Presently, China and Turkey had captured the huge Russian market for leather garments, he pointed out.
Fawad was also of the view that the Russians were reluctant to do the trade with Pakistan due to law and order problem and 'mistrust' among the businessmen of the two countries.
He stressed that there was an urgent need to remove their fears through constant interaction and communication of Pakistani businessmen with their Russian counterparts.
The Plgmea chief said the Russian Federation Consulate was very active and co-operative in making efforts to boost the trade between the two countries.
However, Fawad was of the view that our Embassy in Moscow did not provide adequate support for the export promotion activities. Currently there was no commercial section of our embassy in Moscow to support the trade promotion activities, he maintained.
The Plgmea chief requested the Ministry of Commerce to depute Aftab Anwar Baloch as Commercial Counsellor in Moscow, and said that he was appointed Commercial Counsellor to Moscow some six months ago but still not been posted.
He also urged that Export Promotion Bureau to ensure that visits of the trade delegations to important markets were duly supported by our embassies for boosting the trade.
Fawad believed that our exports of leather garments to Russia could increase significantly if adequate export promotional measures were taken.