ISLAMABAD, Dec 8: Pakistan would remove all barriers to allow free import of tea from Bangladesh. This was stated by State Minister for Commerce Hamid Yar Hiraj in a meeting with a seven-member tea delegation of Bangladesh led by Chairman, Bangladesh Tea Board, Chittagong, Brig Gen. S.A.H.M Tauhid here on Wednesday.

The delegation expressed thanks on behalf of the Bangladeshi government for granting Bangladesh zero per cent import duty on tea. Pakistan had given a quota of 10,000 tons of tea to be imported from Bangladesh at zero per cent import duty.

He also ensured the delegation that Pakistan would keep importing tea from Bangladesh and the government would facilitate the Pakistani importers to the maximum. The objective of the visit of delegation was to explore the market for Bangladeshi tea in Pakistan and to discuss matters relating to bilateral trade.

Mr Hiraj underlined the need for expanding bilateral trade between the two countries because the present level of bilateral trade, which was $240 million during 2003-04, did not correspond to the cordial political relations enjoyed by the two countries.

He said that the Pakistani Cabinet had given the mandate to the ministry of commerce to negotiate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bangladesh, which, once concluded, would enhance the volume of bilateral trade tremendously for the benefit of both the countries.