ISLAMABAD, March 10: The European Commission has again deferred voting to finalize definitive anti-dumping duty on import of bedlinen from Pakistan following reservation from some member countries.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Friday that some countries led by the Nordic bloc showed their dissatisfaction over the calculation of dumping margin worked out by the EC investigative teams.

The first meeting, which was scheduled for January 9, had been postponed to Feb 15, and finally March 9 was set for voting on the issue.

The postponement appears to be the immediate fallout of the cartoon’s issue which attracted maximum resistance from Pakistan along with other Islamic countries.

These members, the sources said, demanded a recalculation of the dumping margin. This further delay in the process will affect the bedlinen industry of the country.

The EC anti-dumping committee 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 interim review on import of bedlinen from Pakistan.

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.

“Some countries have said that they would give their response in black and white on the finalization of anti-dumping duty on Pakistan’s bedlinen,” the sources added. They said that the issue had now been prolonged, which would be difficult for Pakistan to negotiate on bilateral basis with EU member countries on finalization of the dumping duty.

Pakistan has the right to challenge the decision in the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organization.

The third time downward revision in disclosure of the anti-dumping duty on bedlinen shows that Pakistan has a strong position and can get some relief from the WTO body against the chain investigation.

At present Pakistani bedlinen exporters pay a customs duty of 25.1 per cent (13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty plus 9.6 per cent normal duty) under the pre-March 2004 disclosure of anti-dumping duty. This duty will be applicable till the EC publishes the revised duties in their national journal after having an approval from the member countries.