EU trade concessions: Turkey may offer similar package
16% of Pakistani textile exports to be excluded from safeguard measures.
KARACHI:
As soon as the European Union (EU) implements its market access offer for Pakistan, Turkey will table an identical offer, according to Turkish Foreign Trade Under-secretariat Director General Husnu Dilemre.
As a member of the Customs Union, Turkey is already offering beneficial Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to Pakistan, said Dilemre, during a recent meeting with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Saeed Shafiq, in Ankara.
According to a statement issued by KCCI on Monday, Dilemre said, “Despite the fact that the EU offer may have some effect on Turkish exports to EU, we supported Pakistan as it is a brotherly country and we cannot say otherwise.“ On Pakistan's concern over a decline in textile exports following proposed Turkish safeguard measures, Soleyman Sozeri, Head of Department for Asia-Pacific Economic Affairs, said that Turkey understands the sensitivity of safeguard measures; however, goods coming from the export processing regime would be exempted.
He said that the safeguard measures would not bind Pakistan and Turkey or put a strain on bilateral relationship, adding the issue will be addressed with mutual understanding, as Turkey was receptive to the concerns of Pakistan. Sozeri further said that 16 per cent of total Pakistani textile exports will be counted under the export processing regime.
He informed that the safeguard measures were proposed on the request of a few Turkish chambers as their members were suffering losses, but the proposed customs duty for Pakistan will be lower than other countries and some products will also be excluded.
As soon as the European Union (EU) implements its market access offer for Pakistan, Turkey will table an identical offer, according to Turkish Foreign Trade Under-secretariat Director General Husnu Dilemre.
As a member of the Customs Union, Turkey is already offering beneficial Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to Pakistan, said Dilemre, during a recent meeting with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Saeed Shafiq, in Ankara.
According to a statement issued by KCCI on Monday, Dilemre said, “Despite the fact that the EU offer may have some effect on Turkish exports to EU, we supported Pakistan as it is a brotherly country and we cannot say otherwise.“ On Pakistan's concern over a decline in textile exports following proposed Turkish safeguard measures, Soleyman Sozeri, Head of Department for Asia-Pacific Economic Affairs, said that Turkey understands the sensitivity of safeguard measures; however, goods coming from the export processing regime would be exempted.
He said that the safeguard measures would not bind Pakistan and Turkey or put a strain on bilateral relationship, adding the issue will be addressed with mutual understanding, as Turkey was receptive to the concerns of Pakistan. Sozeri further said that 16 per cent of total Pakistani textile exports will be counted under the export processing regime.
He informed that the safeguard measures were proposed on the request of a few Turkish chambers as their members were suffering losses, but the proposed customs duty for Pakistan will be lower than other countries and some products will also be excluded.