The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) wants the government to ensure a level-playing field in trade negotiations with India.The objective basically is to boost exports to India rather than have the country flooded with Indian imports.
APTMA says the duty structure between the two countries must be equal and on a reciprocal basis without any discrimination and non-tariff barriers must be negotiated. The demand is for a long term trading arrangement with India. The proposals further maintain that if finished goods are placed in the positive list of items then the raw materials required for manufacturing of those goods should also be placed on the positive list of items to be imported from India. It mentions an anomaly in the case of polyester staple fiber or filament. This is a raw material included in the negative list of items and its import is not allowed from India but finished goods made with fiber or filament such as synthetic yarn and fabrics are freely allowed to be imported from India.
APTMA is the premier national trade association of the textile spinning, weaving, and organized sectors in Pakistan. It represents 396 textile mills, out of which 315 are spinning, 44 weaving and 37 composite units. These spinning mills have production facilities of texturing, mercerizing and dyeing of yarns; weaving mills have a sizeable number of air-jet looms, and composite mills have manufacturing facilities from spinning to finished textile products under one roof.
www.aptma.org.pk/
