ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The government is considering various proposals to reduce the impact of the European Commission’s (EC) proposed move to levy 15 per cent anti-dumping duty on Pakistani bedlinen.

Sources said that the proposals would be discussed at length during the high level meeting to be chaired by Commerce Minister, Humayun Akhtar Khan here on Saturday. The meeting would be attended by representatives of textile tycoons mostly from bedlinen industry and senior officials of the relevant stakeholders.

The proposed measures, the sources said, would attempt to ensure that Pakistani exporters were allowed to maintain their competitive edge in bedlenin export.

“We are asking that the minimum duty free quantity be kept at 60,000 tons to EU so that it reflected the current level of our export and that the Commission should enhance this level gradually so that Pakistan’s market share registered an increase in the coming years,” the sources said.

Presently Pakistan’s export of bedlinen to EC is covered under EC’s GSP drug arrangement incentives at 0 per cent duty and if for any reason this incentive is withdrawn, it might reduce the market share of bedlinen in the EU member countries.