German envoy urges textile synergies

German Ambassador Alfred Grannas stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral trade and mutual capacity building in the textile sector during his visit to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Lahore office on Wednesday. Grannas highlighted the need for synergies in trade expansion and the exchange of business delegations to explore investment opportunities.

Grannas urged the Pakistani government to ensure compliance with GSP Plus regulations and advised exporters to familiarise themselves with German supply chain standards to boost exports. He announced that the German Development Cooperation will establish a help desk in Pakistan, with APTMA offering logistical support for its setup.

Addressing visa issuance delays, Grannas detailed the procedure for obtaining business visas, assuring that applications following the prescribed steps would be processed within two weeks.

Chairman APTMA North Kamran Arshad highlighted the economic benefits of the EU’s GSP Plus extension for another 10 years, which promotes human rights, labour rights, environmental standards, and good governance.