KARACHI, March 5: The European Commission has imposed 13.1 per cent definitive anti-dumping duty on bed-linen imports from Pakistan with immediate effect. The punitive duty will remain effective for a period of five years.

Under Council Regulation (EC) No397/2004 of March 2, 2004, appearing in the official journal of the European Union the anti-dumping duty on Pakistani bed linen will be effective from March 5, 2004.

Last month Pakistan narrowly lost by one vote when 15 EU member states cast their votes on the proposed 13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty. Since there was a tie of seven votes, Ireland, being chairman, had to technically throw its weight in favour of the imposition of the duty.

The Cotton and Allied Textile Industries of the European Commission - Eurocoton - had lodged a complaint in November 2002, about dumping of bedlinen resulting in material injury to local industry, and demanded initiation of an anti-dumping proceedings.