FAISALABAD, Aug 20: Heavy anti-dumping duty on Pakistani bed linen in the EU market has been creating problems for the exporters making them uncompetitive in the international market.

This was stated by Pakistani textile exporters at a meeting with the study group of European Commission, which visited Faisalabad on Wednesday. It comprised Maximiliano Mendez Parra, Dr Anwar F Chishti, Dr Zulfiqar and Amirul Hassan Zaidi.

Talking to the group former chairman of the All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association Mian Mohammad Latif said anti-dumping duty imposed by the European countries was against the global trade agreement handicapping the Pakistani textile exporters against their regional rivals.

He said that the extraordinary social compliance instructions and adverse travel advisories had also been creating problems for the exporters to promote their businesses in Europe. These non-tariff barriers are adversely affecting the export trade to EU, he added.

The textile exports of Bangladesh to the EU are duty-free while India and China have been enjoying preferential treatment and free access to markets but contrary to this Pakistan is being treated differently.

He said the textile exporters had been facing anti-dumping duty in addition to 9.6 per cent customs duty. The European Commission has also withdrawn the facility of Generalised System of Preference (GSP) on Pakistani exports, he added.