January 1, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 16, 1422

KARACHI, Dec 31: The government has taken notice of China’s dumping of footwear in Pakistan and intends to take anti-dumping measures, the federal commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood announced on Monday.

“We are monitoring the dumping of Chinese footwear in our market,” the minister replied during a press briefing at the Export Promotion Bureau when asked if anti-dumping measures were under way.

He disclosed that the government has received two other applications on dumping in Pakistan market but refused to identify the products and the countries from where the goods originated on the plea that “we are in process of putting in place an anti-dumping law, a mechanism to proceed and take action.”

Never before, Pakistan has on any occasion, taken anti-dumping measures against any country and therefore lacks the skill and expertise in this area. “We want to be sure of our own skills in anti-dumping proceedings before we make public the products and the countries.

“China’s entry into World Trade Organisation (WTO) is both a challenge and an opportunity for Pakistan,” Razak Dawood noted, while pointing out that China has now access to all markets of WTO members, including Pakistan. “But then,” he hastened to add, “China also offers a market of 240 billion dollars a year,” making an oblique reference to China’s annual import bill.

He disclosed that two Chinese delegations are coming to Pakistan next March. One of these two delegations wants to see Pakistan-made silk. Chinese investors have shown interest in setting up embroidery and silk garments stitching facilities in Pakistan for onward export.

The other Chinese delegation is here to study textile manufacturing facilities, particularly the grey cloth. China receives huge orders for garments and not enough for fabrics. “Pakistan is a natural choice”, he said.

Before, the arrival of these two delegations the Minister said a Pakistan trade delegation is also visiting China to explore trade expansion possibilities.

He said that government is encouraging Pakistani businessmen to visit China and explore the vast marketing opportunities available in a variety of items.

To reap benefit from Afghan reconstruction effort, a meeting is being held on Jan 7 in Islamabad with representatives of cement, construction and building material, he said. The businessmen, he said, would be briefed by the officials of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the United Nations on the funds available for various segments of business activities.

Yet another meeting after January 7 he said would be held in Peshawar with the businessmen dealing in trade of commodities and a host of other items to Afghanistan.

The Minister spoke at length of the export opportunities for a variety of non-textile items that have now been given duty-free access to EU markets. “Furniture, cutlery, fish, marble and granite” were some of the items that Razak Dawood said held immense export potential.

He said that a series of meetings with the manufacturers and exporters of these non-textile items have been held in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and in Gujrat, Gujranwala and other places.

“We have done a lot of home work to find out the market potential of each of these non-textile items in EU countries”, he pointed out while trying to explain that the government was striving to guide the businessmen to reach the market.

“The furniture makers do not have the capacity to meet a big export order”, he said, “and therefore the government wants the furniture makers to approach the furniture buyers, secure orders and then arrange finance to increase capacity and start servicing the order.”

“It will generate a lot of employment and bring foreign exchange”, he said.

Responding to another question, the minister indicated total export earning of $9 billion during the current fiscal year as against original projection of $10.1 billion made earlier.

He agreed that export trade has received a serious setback after September 11 incident.

Answering another question, he said so far there was no proposal of putting any ban on trade with India.

He said the thrust of the government policies is to focus on USA and EU in the West, China in the east, Australia and Canada, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the neighbourhood, and Kenya and South Africa in Africa.