ISLAMABAD, July 2: The United States (US) has restored the zero per cent concession for Pakistan’s 14 tariff lines (products) under its generalised system of preferences (GSP) scheme.

An official in the commerce ministry told Dawn on Saturday that the US government had withdrawn the GSP coverage on these products because it found some labour practices in Pakistan objectionable.

Of the 14 tariff lines, the products placed in the seven tariff lines were even not exported to the US since 2001. Only seven tariff lines products were marginally exported during the period under review.

According to the list of the tariff lines (products) under GSP scheme included instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, nesi, and parts and accessories thereof under HTS Number 90189080. However, currently there was no duty on the export of these products to the US.

Under the other tariff lines the duty has been reduced to zero per cent from existing 4.9 per cent on gloves, mittens and mitts specially designed for use in sports, nesi, of leather or of composition leather (HTS Number 42032180); from 3 per cent to zero on batting gloves, of leather or of composition leather (HTS Number 42032120); from 3.8 to zero per cent on gloves specially designed for use in sports, nesol, of plastics (39262030); already at zero per cent on arts and equip for general physical exercise, gymnastics or athletics and parts and accessories thereof (95069100); inflatable balls (o/than footballs and soccer balls) nesol (95066280) and from 3.5 per cent to zero per cent on ski or snowmobile gloves, mittens and mitts, nesi, of leather or of composition leather (42032160).

The products, which have no export to the US and included in the scheme included: country ski glove, mittens and mitts of leather or of composition of leather.

The duty on this tariff lines reduced from 5.5 per cent to zero per cent; carpet and other textile floor covering, hand-knotted/hand-inserted, w/ov 50 per cent wt pile of fine animal hair, foregoing certified hand-loomed and folklore (57011013), which was already duty free; wall hangings, not knitted or crocheted, of wool or fine animal hair, the foregoing certified hand-loomed and folklore product (63049910).

The duty reduced on this tariff line from 3.8 per cent to zero per cent; certified hand-loomed and folklore floor covering, woven not on power-driven loom, not of pile construction, made up, of wool or fine animal hair (57029120), which was already duty free; certified hand-loomed and folklore pillow covers of wool or fine animal hair, not knitted or crocheted (63049940).

The duty on this tariff line reduced to zero from 3.8 per cent; certified hand-loomed and folklore product being “kelen”, “schumack”, “Karamanis” and similar hand woven rugs (57021010) and hand loomed and folklore hand-woven tapestries nesol and needle-tapestries, of wool or fine animal hair, which was already duty free.