October 23, 2001	Tuesday	Shaba'an 5, 1422

KARACHI, Oct 22: United States Deputy Secretary of State Allen Larson assured the Pakistani industrialists and exporters that the State Department would do its best to make importers of the US understand that imports from Pakistan are safe, and as such, they may continue their procurement from here.

“After coming to Pakistan, I can see that everything is normal, production activities are going on normally, and there is no threat to future shipments”, he remarked.

According to former KCCI president Zubair Motiwala, the US deputy secretary gave assurance to a group of industrialists and exporters in a meeting held in Islamabad on Sunday. Commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood, commerce secretary Mirza Qamar Baig and US ambassador in Pakistan, Ms. Wendy were also present in the meeting.

The deputy secretary said he had understood the position and sympathetically considered the removal/reduction in tariff. He said in order to have more trade with Pakistan, the US would give a package to ensure increased accessibility to the US market.

He further assured that the US was looking forward to a long-term relations with Pakistan and enhancement in bilateral trade. He said any lay-offs/creation of unemployment in Pakistan would not be conducive for two-way trade.

Mr Larson said that he fully understood the immediate and long-term requirements of the business, specially of textile sector, and he would do the needful without loss of time.

Earlier participants informed the deputy secretary about the cancellation and delayed export orders by the US buyers and produced evidence in the form of faxes/e-mails sent by the US buyers.

They stressed, “if we don’t get order for the spring season now, there can be lay-offs particularly in the garment sector”.

They also apprised him of the escalation in cost because of war risk insurance, depreciation of dollar in term of rupee and increase in port charges, in addition to the problems, emanating from minute scrutiny of consignment.—APP