FAISALABAD, Aug 7: Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) and Faisalabad Dry Port Trust (FDPT) have hailed the Pak-China agreement allowing duty-free access as a big breakthrough.

PTEA Chairman Faiq Jawed said that with the import of duty-free machinery from China, the textile industry would implement its modernization and replenishment programme of improving the production capacity and standardization of manufacturing facilities.

He said the duty-free import of dyes, chemicals and other raw material would help exporters cut the business cost and give a boost to exports.

He said the Pakistani exporters could successfully market bed-sheets in China on the basis of quality, variety of prints and competitive price.

FDPT Chairman Shahzad Ali Siddiqui said machinery and raw material would help Pakistan set up new industrial units and modernize the existing ones.

He said it would be a very good omen that Pakistan would export 50 items to China on zero-rated duty which included bed linen, table linen and other home textile, terry towels, blended fabrics, synthetic yarn, synthetic fabrics, mangoes, oranges, dates, tarpaulin, marble articles like tiles, surgical and sports goods.

The agreement for zero-rated duty on 52 items was reached at a meeting held in Beijing on Friday between officials of the Export Promotion Bureau and the Chinese commerce ministry.

He congratulated EPB Vice-Chairman Zafar Mahmood who led the Pakistani team at the meeting and worked out the duty-free structure under the Early Harvesting Programme (EHP) which is a part of free-trade agreement.