February 28, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 29, 1427

ISLAMABAD, Feb 27: The European Commission has revised downward the proposed national average of anti-dumping duty to 5.8 per cent from 7.6 per cent of the second disclosure of the interim review on import of bedlinen from Pakistan.

An official statement sent to the commerce ministry by the European Commission, a copy of which available with Dawn, also proposed a revision of anti-dumping duty to 8.5 per cent from 12.7 per cent for those who did not cooperate with the EU investigating team or filled the questionnaire as well as new exporters.

According to the revised dumping duty on individual eight exporters, the dumping duty on export of Chenab had been proposed at 5.7pc, down from 12.7pc; Gulahmad to 5.6pc from 6.8pc; Lucky Textile to 7.2pc from 8.8 per cent; Al-Abid to 3.9pc from 3.4 per cent; and Nishat Mills to 6.1 per cent from 9.5 per cent.

However, anti-dumping duties remained the same as was disclosed in the second disclosure for Mohammad Farooq at 3.5 per cent and Yunus Textile at 8.5 per cent. Fairdeal Textiles was exempted from dumping duty, as it was disclosed again at zero per cent under the third revision.

The first disclosure was made public on September 29, 2005, followed by the second on December 23, 2005 and the third disclosure on Feb 23, 2006. A meeting is scheduled for March 9 in Brussels to decide whether to approve the revised dumping duties or suspend it.

At present Pakistani exporters cleared the export of bedlinen to EU member countries at a customs duty of 25.1 per cent (13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty plus 9.6 per cent normal duty effective from January this year under the GSP scheme) under a pre-March 2004 disclosure of anti-dumping duty. This duty will be applicable till the European Commission publishes the revised duties in their national journal, which was expected in April.

Analysts said the third general disclosure of the European Commission regarding anti-dumping duties on Pakistan’s bedlinen indicated the errors in their calculations while assessing the dumping margin that had affected the export of bedlinen to the EU in the last two years.

They said that the commercial section of the commerce ministry in Brussels was also equally responsible for not properly pursuing the issue with the EC authorities before the levy of dumping duty on bedlinen.