KARACHI, April 28: The newly appointed Pakistan's economic minister to the European Union (EU) headquarter in Brussels, Tariq Puri has said that there is no chance of re-imposition of textile quotas beyond January 2005 or extension of Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) which allowed duty free access to the European market.

However, Pakistani exporters could benefit from additional quotas for the ten new EU members joining the fold in May and the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status the country will have from the EU member states after the ratification of their generation agreement.

Addressing garment exporters at a farewell dinner organized by Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) on Tuesday he said that after joining office in second half of next month he would lobby both with the EU bureaucracy, buyers as well as the domestic complainants who were responsible for anti-dumping duty on export of bedlinen from Pakistan.

He said that the two sides had common interest in textile trade and due to Pakistani niche in textile products the European consumers need quality and reasonably priced Pakistani products. "I will invite textile manufacturers in the EU to enter into joint venture with Pakistani textile exporters to capture global markets in WTO free trade regime."

Welcoming the guest chairman PRGMEA Tahir Aziz expressed the hope that the new minister would take up with the EU authorities most crucial issues hurting textile exports mainly anti-dumping duty imposed on bedlinen and the withdrawal of the duty free access.

He said that with the start of WTO free trade era in 2005 Pakistani products would suffer from 25.1 per cent customs duty following the withdrawal of GSP and the levy of anti- dumping duty.