Trade liberalization with India can help Pakistan textile gain

Pakistan textile sees trade balance sharply moving in India’s favour as the Indian Central Government plus the state governments were offering subsidies and rebates to boost their exports of textile products. Moreover it is having the benefits of regulatory duties and other levies on imports from Pakistan. To maintain level playing field, a Non-Discriminatory Market access (NDMA) from India to Pakistan is more vital rather than Pakistan being the Most Favoured Nation status (MFN) to India

All Pakistan Textiles Mills (APTMA) has urged for non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) from India as without level playing field there could be no trade liberalisation between the two neighbouring countries.

In this concern, Muhammad Yasin Siddik, Chairman has expressed his appreciation for appointing a high-powered committee chaired by the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and attended by Commerce Minister Engr Khurram Dastagir Khan and other federal secretaries. He also lauded the efforts of Minister for Commerce and Textile Industry Engr Khuarrm Dastagir Khan for having taken all the stakeholders on board before formulating his suggestions. He also mentioned that it will be not be possible for Pakistan to move forward in opening its borders to Indian textiles with number of taxes and levies imposed on Pakistan’s textile items and unless these disparities are removed.

Further, in order for the NDMA process to progress, India nee to give substantial concessions on items of exports so as to provide a level playing field in which Pakistan and India both have an equal chance to increase their exports to each other.

Pakistan textile can gain only from trade liberalization with India.