December 4, 2003	Thursday	Shawwal 9, 1424

KARACHI, Dec 3: The European Union has accepted Pakistan’s request for reversal of quota from Category-2 and Category-2A to Category-1.

Textile Quota Management director Amir Jan told APP here on Wednesday that SIGL, the record maintaining authority of the EU for textile quotas, in its direct import goods report of December 12, 2003, released on December 3 (Wednesday), had adjusted the utilization percentage in Cat-1.

He said the sufficient space was available to Pakistani exporters in Cat-1 (cotton yarn) as Pakistan had sought intra-category transfer from the EU in exchange with Cat-2 (grey fabrics) and Cat-2A (printed fabrics).

He pointed out that the Export Promotion Bureau had made a request to Brussels on November 21 for the reversal of quota from Cat-2 and Cat-2A to Cat-1. “This has been accepted and Pakistan was allowed intra-category transfer,” Mr Jan said.

He said that after the adjustment, the utilization of Pakistani exporters in Cat-1 was estimated at 85.27 per cent, whereas the actual utilization was 91.27 per cent.

Mr Jan said the EPB had issued licences to Pakistani exporters for 101.33 per cent in Cat-1. This has also come down to 88.44 per cent after the adjustment, creating a space of 12 per cent for more licences.

Similarly, the utilization in Cat-2 was shown at 83.12 per cent and in Cat-2A at 51.43 per cent after the adjustment.

—APP