November 18, 2001	Sunday	Ramazan 2, 1422

KARACHI, Nov 17: The US government has allowed last three years’ quota deductions in over a dozen textile categories to be adjusted against imports of Pakistan’s current year’s (2001) quota ceiling. These quantities, mostly belonging to clothing and apparel, were deducted in 1998, 1999 and 2000, but now have been allowed to be adjusted by the US customs against current year’s quota ceiling.

According to a finding of Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) USA, these categories which are mostly known as ‘hot cake’ had been imported during the year 1998, 1999, and 2000.

These quantities are being adjusted against current year’s (2001) quotas since Wednesday (Nov 14, 2001) by the US Customs on the directive of the Committee.

According a CITA decision, a copy of which has been made available to Dawn, the findings were carried out on the request of the government of Pakistan.

The Minister for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood who was recently in the US as a head of a delegation to negotiate increase in quota quantity and tariff reduction also sought US government assistance to verify utilization of quota quantities.

There had been strong feeling amongst textile circles that Pakistan may benefit much more than what is now being offered by the US but, to their utter dismay, merely an adjustment of earlier deductions were made, they maintained.

Exporters were expecting much better treatment from the US, particularly when Pakistan, after becoming front-line alliance state against terrorism, has received much of the war brunt and its economy is being officially estimated to have suffer up to $3 billion.

Already several fast moving quota categories to US are under embargo, resulting in blocking of shipped consignments at the US ports and other at high seas as well as at manufacturing stage.

The government in order to maintain track of textile quota utilization, hired the services of auditors on a high fee but for the last three years no serious action or benefit had been taken from the audited reports.

Similarly, the formation of Quota Supervisory Council (QSC) has almost lost its purpose as over utilization and shipments of various categories are resulting in embargoes and frauds, as well as issuance of fake quota visas are still rampant.

To enhance exports, the government this year has also gone for over-programming of several categories, which will be deducted from next year’s ceilings.

The exporters are unhappy over these developments and feel that the government has failed to play its cards properly on Afghan factor with the US government and instead of getting increased textile quotas an adjustment against earlier deduction has come their way.

According to the CITA document the following category/ amount to be deducted has been notified: 331/631, 39,233 dozen pairs; 338, 41,328 dozen; 340/640, 3711 dozen; 347/348, 21,038 dozen; 351/651, 5,067 dozen; 360, 152,355 numbers; 361, 211,663 numbers; 363, 2,051,331 numbers; 369-F/369-P, 139,653 kg; 369-S, 27,152 kg; 647/648, 2,794 dozen; 66-P, 48,457 kg and 666-S, 183,840 kg.