01 March 2005	Tuesday	19 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 28: The United States has restored generalized system of preference (GSP) for 14 Pakistani product groups reducing customs duties on various products, seven of them with duty-free access.

According to an information reaching Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) from Pakistani mission in the US here on Monday, the duty concessions under GSP will make Pakistani products competitive, enhancing their exports to American market.

An official dealing GSP matters at EPB said that the recent visits of commerce minister and the secretary commerce were instrumental in the restoration of this concession, which was withdrawn in 1999 due to certain objections of US government regarding labour practices in Pakistan.

He said that both these gentlemen have effectively persuaded Pakistan's case with US authorities. Furthermore, the changing Pakistan-US relations have also played an important role in this regard, he said.

He said that seven Pakistani product groups will get a duty free access in the USA after GSP restoration while remaining seven will get a concessional tariff ranging between 3 to 4.9 per cent. Instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary, sciences and pans and accessories thereof will get a duty-free access.

Gloves, mittens and mitts specially designed for use in sports, of leather or of composition leather will attract a duty of 4.9 per cent, while batting gloves of leather or of composition leather will be levied with 3 per cent duty.

Gloves specially designed for use in sports will face a customs duty of 3.8 per cent while arts and equipment for general physical exercise, gymnastics or athletics and parts and accessories will be allowed duty free access.

Inflatable balls (footballs and soccer balls) can be imported duty free in the US while ski or snowmobile gloves, mittens and mitts, of leather or of composition leather will attract a duty of 3.5 per cent.

Cross-country ski gloves, mittens and mitts, of leather or of composition leather will have a duty of 5.5 per cent. Carpet and other textile floor covering, hand-knotted or hand-inserted, animal hair, hand-loomed and folklore were attracting a 259 per cent duty, will now get a duty free access in the US market.

Wall hangings, not knitted or crocheted, of wool or fine animal hair, the foregoing certified hand-loomed and folklore products will attract a duty of 3.8 per cent while certified hand-loomed & folklore floor covering, woven not on power-driven loom, not of pile construction, made up of wool or fine animal hair will get a duty-free access.

The duty on certified hand-loomed and folklore pillow covers of wool or fine animal hair, not knitted or crocheted has been reduced to 3.8 per cent while certified hand-loomed and folklore products being "Kelem", "Schumacks", "Karamanie" and similar hand-woven rugs will get a duty-free access.

Certified hand-loomed and folklore hand-woven tapestries and needle-worked tapestries, of wool or fine animal hair will get a duty-free access. -APP