LAHORE, March 18: The Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) has opposed a proposal to impose duty on export of finished goods as unwise.

In a statement here Monday, PTA (north) chairman Agha Saiddain said such a measure would destroy the tanning and leather garment industry in the country.

He said the decline in leather garments export could not be attributed to high prices of finished leather as its rates had come down by 12per cent to 15 per cent since September 11. It was due to the international situation that the prices of the leather garments have dipped, he added.

He said the country was exporting top grade leather at high prices and imposition of duty on it could deprive it of precious foreign exchange earned by it, destroying the second largest export industry in the country. Besides, he said, a Smeda study had shown that value addition in the finished leather was $1.56 per square foot as compared to $1.11 in leather garments. Hence, it would be unwise to put curbs on its export.