The reduced rate of anti-dumping duty of 5.8 percent on Pakistan's bed linen by European Union has been enforced from May 6 2006. This was stated by European Union Commission in its Journal issued from Brussels on May 5, 2006.
The decision to reduce anti dumping duty from 13.1 percent to 5.8 percent on Pakistani bed linen was taken by European Union member states in March 2006 and this is being implemented from May 6, 2006 under Council Regulation No 695/2006.
The European Union decision was announced following a 14-11 vote in favour of Pakistan. The voting was held among the 25 member states of European Union in Brussels in March 2006.
The decision was taken following investigation conducted by the EU at the request of Pakistan. The case was reopened and a team of EU visited UAE for investigation in this connection. On completion of investigation, voting was held to finally decide the issue, which came in favour of Pakistan.
The regulation shall be binding in its entirety and would be directly applicable in all EU member states. Shabbir Ahmed, Chairman, Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association, welcomed this decision and said that Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar had taken personal interest in pursuing this issue.
He thanked the Minister for his untiring efforts in pleading the case of bed linen exporters and assured that the exporters on their part would live up to the confidence reposed in them by the Commerce Ministry.