Pakistan asks India to remove non-tariff barriers on 20 items
Friday, 2 November 2007
ISLAMABAD, Nov 1 (PTI): Pakistan has asked India to remove non-tariff barriers on the export of 20 products in a bid to narrow down the trade mismatch between the two countries.
Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah said the list of 20 items had been sent to Indian authorities through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
The list includes commodities like textiles, surgical products, sports and leather items and cutlery which face non-tariff barriers at Indian ports and entry points that restrict exports.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and India has almost doubled from US$ 835 million in 2004-05 to $1.6 billion in 2006-07.
The sending of the list of 20 items was the outcome of Commerce Secretary-level talks between the two countries in August, when they decided that Pakistan would identify 20 products so that their exports to India could be facilitated, the 'Dawn' newspaper reported Wednesday.
The Indian government would now inform Pakistan about the detailed import regime on these products, it said.
Imports from India currently are worth about $1.25 billion while Pakistan's exports have grown slowly from $280 million in 2004-05 to $370 million in 2006-07 despite the granting of Most Favoured Nation status to it by India.
The list sent by Pakistan does not refer to tariff lines but only mentions products, as tariff lines could run into hundreds, an official said.
The Indian government too has submitted a list of over 400 products for inclusion in the positive list for trading with Pakistan. Once these are included, the total number of products on the positive list for trading between the two countries would be over 1,475.
Pakistani officials also believe that the enhanced market access provided to India through an enlarged list would take India's exports beyond the dollar two billion-mark during 2007-08.
Details of the non-tariff barriers associated with identified commodities would be exchanged in the next Working Group meeting scheduled for November to resolve the matter, an official said.
Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah said the list of 20 items had been sent to Indian authorities through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
The list includes commodities like textiles, surgical products, sports and leather items and cutlery which face non-tariff barriers at Indian ports and entry points that restrict exports.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and India has almost doubled from US$ 835 million in 2004-05 to $1.6 billion in 2006-07.
The sending of the list of 20 items was the outcome of Commerce Secretary-level talks between the two countries in August, when they decided that Pakistan would identify 20 products so that their exports to India could be facilitated, the 'Dawn' newspaper reported Wednesday.
The Indian government would now inform Pakistan about the detailed import regime on these products, it said.
Imports from India currently are worth about $1.25 billion while Pakistan's exports have grown slowly from $280 million in 2004-05 to $370 million in 2006-07 despite the granting of Most Favoured Nation status to it by India.
The list sent by Pakistan does not refer to tariff lines but only mentions products, as tariff lines could run into hundreds, an official said.
The Indian government too has submitted a list of over 400 products for inclusion in the positive list for trading with Pakistan. Once these are included, the total number of products on the positive list for trading between the two countries would be over 1,475.
Pakistani officials also believe that the enhanced market access provided to India through an enlarged list would take India's exports beyond the dollar two billion-mark during 2007-08.
Details of the non-tariff barriers associated with identified commodities would be exchanged in the next Working Group meeting scheduled for November to resolve the matter, an official said.