ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: Pakistan will increase export of rice to Turkey in the wake of dispute settlement body of WTO decision asking Ankara to remove burdensome procedures and implicit barrier to market access.

This decision would really have a positive impact on Pakistan’s exports because it would remove burdensome procedures and barrier to market access in the Turkish market, an official in the commerce ministry told Dawn on Saturday.

The US government has taken action against Turkey at the World Trade Organisation in a row over Turkish restrictions on rice imports.

This complaint was supported by Argentina, Australia, China, Egypt, European Communities, Korea, Pakistan and Thailand as third parties.

He said the decision would alert other importers as well who have similar implicit barriers.

Currently, Pakistan has very negligible export of rice to Turkey due to the quantitative restrictions and high tariff walls on the agriculture produce, including all varieties of rice to protect their local farmers.

According to the DSB decision, Turkish decision, from September 2003 and for different periods of time, to deny, or fail to grant, certificates of control to import rice outside of the tariff rate quota, constitute a quantitative import restriction, as well as a practice of discretionary import licensing.

Accordingly, it is a measure of the kind, which has been required to be converted into ordinary customs duties and is therefore inconsistent with Article 4.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture.

It was recommended that the Turkey should bring the inconsistent measures as listed above in conformity with its obligations under the WTO agreements.

This means that in compliance of this decision, Turkey will have to open up its market for import of rice from all rice producing countries.