LAHORE, Nov 13: The Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) has urged the government to press the US for reducing tariffs on the textiles imports from Pakistan to head off further loss in exports triggered by the September 11 terror raids on the US soil followed by war on Afghanistan.

Speaking to Dawn on Tuesday, PHMA chairman Shehzad Azam said the only way to “woo back the foreign (American) buyers of Pakistan’s textiles was to make available to them our products at cheaper rates than our competitors”.

He said it was important to secure more textile quota from the US and other (quota) countries. But, he said, Pakistani exporters needed tariff concessions to reduce the prices of their products.

“If we don’t get meaningful tariff concessions (from the US), our textile exports will be jeopardized. What’s the use of additional quota if we do not have orders to utilize it?,” he added.

He warned that the textile exports from Pakistan could plummet 70 per cent by the end of the current fiscal years because of the ongoing war on Afghanistan.

“Several buyers have revoked orders. No fresh orders are being placed. Market access to registered exporters is being denied. We are faced with serious problems in obtaining visas because of the restrictions imposed by the importing nations.

“Neither the buyers can come to Pakistan nor can we visit them. We do not have orders to deliver in the first quarter (Jan-March) of the next year. How do we do business in this situation?,” Azam wondered.