In order to assist Pakistan with economic recovery of it’s flood devastated regions, the European parliament recently approved a regulation to allow more goods to be exported duty free to the EU on a temporary basis.
This measure will include linen, leather, fabrics, garments and ethanol. There will be caps on commercially sensitive goods.
This proposal was made two years ago but has taken time as a special waiver was needed from the World Trde Organisation.
So that EU jobs are protected inn sectors that are sensitive to cheap imports, the EU parliament has added safeguard clauses that EU duties cna be reintroduced should certain thresholhds be reached.
Other amendments will enable the EU to withdraw the trade preferences should Pakistan impose restrictions on exports of raw materials used to produce goods covered by the regulation.
Article reproduced with the kind permission of BIFA, and taken from the BIFAlink magazine Issue No. 265 from November 2012.
