KARACHI, Feb 4: The European Commission (EC) has imposed 13.1 per cent anti-dumping duty on bedlinen imports from Pakistan in final voting held on Monday.

The punitive duty will be implemented from March 18, 2004, for a period of five years.

According to reports reaching here from Brussels, out of the 15-member trade bloc seven voted in favour of Pakistan and eight against, resulting in imposition of the duty.

An official notification, in this regard, will be issued to implement the punitive duty on bedlinen imports from Pakistan.

The punitive duty on bedlinen imports are coming at such a critical juncture when the quota free regime is around the corner. As a result of this development Pakistani exporters have been put at a disadvantageous position against their competitors from India and other countries.

Exporters believe that this will directly affect bedlinen exports and their share in the 15-member states of the European Union (EU) will reduce during the quota free regime starting from January 1, 2005.

The government has been sounding optimistic about final outcome of anti-dumping issue. But the final voting has rendered Pakistani bedlinen exports at a disadvantageous position in EU market against their competitors.

Many exporters feel that the current team involved in dealing such issues was not at all technically fit and they had on many an occasion suggested the Minister of Commerce to bring in new team which could understand such delicate issues having global perspective.

The worst part of the entire development was that the post of Economic Minister at Brussels embassy was lying vacant since December last with no representative from Pakistan to look after such sensitive issues at EC level, a leading bedlinen exporter from Faislabad lamented.

Despite the fact that during last couple of months the Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan on several occasions held talks with EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and also got some assurances but the final outcome is totally contrary to what was being claimed or assured by both the sides.

"There was not question of getting any sort of relief which was being anticipated and hoped by our negotiators because the Commission way back had made up its mind about the issue and was fully determined to impose punitive duty on bedlinen imports from Pakistan," another exporter of bedlinen asserted.

They also questioned the performance of a team led by secretary commerce Kamal Afsar that had made flying visits to several European capitals from January 7 to 16, to lobby against the imposition of anti-dumping duty on Pakistani bedlinen by the EC.

Most of the exporters were not satisfied with the performance of the solicitors as well and feel that they did not fight properly and were more keen to receive hefty fee, which is hard to pay for a poor country like Pakistan.

On the other hand both India and China who took aggressive posture on the export front are now better placed against Pakistani bedlinen exporters to the EU market and this lead taken by them could be maintained during free market regime starting next year.