04 October 2004	Monday	18 Shaban 1425

FAISALABAD. Oct. 3: The government has decided to set up a trade office (TO) in Shanghai, which will become operational immediately after Eidul Fitr, says Consulate General Designate Zafaruddin Mahmood.

Speaking to textile millowners at the head office of the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) here on Sunday, he said that China had signed agreements of 'most-favoured nations' (MFN) with 190 countries, including Pakistan.

In addition to it, the two countries inked yet another exclusive agreement to promote bilateral trade. Under this agreement Pakistan could export as many as 700 products to China at 'specially subsidized' duty rates.

He said no doubt China had a strong industrial base, it was a big potential consumer market and Pakistan must exploit this potential to increase its exports to this neighbouring country.

He termed Shanghai the business capital of China where more than 40,000 companies were operating. The trade office in Shanghai would provide a direct access to Pakistani exporters to their potential Chinese as well as other international buyers.

He further said that a special meeting room would be set up in the trade office to enable Pakistani exporters visiting Shanghai to have meetings with their buyers. It would also extend charged facility of telephone and fax in addition to arranging translators for the visiting Pakistani delegates and exporters.

He pointed out that PIA was also expected to start a direct flight from Pakistan to Shanghai to facilitate exporters intending to explore Chinese markets. Commenting on the World Trade Order (WTO), he said that Pakistan would get rid of quota restrictions from January 2005, but they would remain effective on China up to 2008.

During this 'grace period' Pakistani businessmen should launch joint ventures in addition to establishing strong business relations with their Chinese counterparts to work as partners in post-quota regime, he added.

He asked textile exporters to visit and explore Chinese markets to increase their exports. Quoting recent export figures, he said that value of Pakistani exports to China was $800 million, with 80 per cent textiles.

He recommended that businessmen from Faisalabad should have aggressive marketing strategies and in this connection, they should encourage trade delegations.Earlier, in his address of welcome, PTEA Chairman Faiq Jawed said that Pakistan Textile Exporters Association was the biggest textile association of the county.

It was formerly known as All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association and was predominantly a textile quota handling body. With the phase-out of textile quota regime, a complete transformation in functioning and objectives of the trade became necessary and hence the change in name and expansion in scope and operations of the association.

He said that China was one of the biggest cotton producing and textile garments exporter county. There was yet a huge potential for our textile exports and the government should encourage exporters to enter into the Chinese market.

He said that China had a billion plus consumer market and despite the economy of scale and production cannot meet the entire demand of its population. Moreover the wave of reformation is sweeping the country and the government policy of opening up its domestic markets under the demands of new world trade order, is being implemented and the Chinese are acclimatizing themselves to new fashions, new trends and luxury items.

He further said that with the introduction of Western culture and growing prosperity and rising standard of living, the demand for textile items was bound to grow.

STACKERS: Two latest computerized stackers have been added to the fleet of the Faisalabad Dry Port (FDP) to speed up the process of loading and unloading. Speaking to participants of a ceremony on the occasion, FDPT Chairman Shahzad Ali Saddiqi said that earlier three cranes were used for loading and unloading of containers. They had to work from dawn to dusk to clear the load.

He further said that these stackers could lift 100 containers of 45 tons from third row up to the third story within one hour. He said that special staff was recruited to man these stackers who were also given 15-day practical training at the Karachi Port.