Govt. support sought against anti-dumping duty in Africa

KARACHI, Apr 17: The cement exporters have urged the Ministry of Commerce to approach South African authorities to waive anti-dumping duty on Pakistani cement as this has reduced the cement export volume over last couple of years.

"Before anti-dumping duty, annual cement export to South Africa was worth $ 700 million and now it has gone down to $ 100 million," said Chairman, Pakistan-South Africa Business Forum, Mohammad Rafiq Memon during a meeting with the office bearers of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the chamber. He was leading a delegation of PSABF, said a KCCI press release on Wednesday.

He said that the forum was trying its best to get this issue resolved but Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce also should send a delegation to South Africa to convince the authorities to review and waive this anti-dumping duty on cement.

Chairman PSABF was fairly optimistic that the South African government would review the anti-dumping duty on cement imports and the situation was likely to improve by 2020, the efforts were made by private sectors and Pakistan government.

While requesting KCCI to participate in the forthcoming events being organized by PSABF in South Africa, he informed that PSABF had planned to organize 4-day seminar in the month of July 2019 which would be followed by a single country exhibition in October 2019 to highlight Pakistan's trade potential.

He said that PSABF had also planned to establish a trade center in South Africa by December 2019 where Pakistani manufacturers and exporters would be able to display samples of their products and services along with relevant contact information. This would result in effectively promoting Pakistani products not only in the South African market but other African states.

He said PSABF, which was formed in 2014, had enhanced its activities and the forum had been regularly holding negotiations with South African government and other stakeholders with a view to enhance trade and investment ties between the two countries.

During the past four years, PSABF had received and facilitated 27 delegations from Pakistan and they look forward to receiving a delegation from Karachi Chamber in near future.

"PSABF is not just confined to South Africa but we have expanded our activities to nine more countries in the African region," he added.

Senior Vice President KCCI Khurram Shahzad, while welcoming the South African delegates, assured to take up the anti-dumping issue being faced by Pakistani cement exporters with Federal Ministry of Commerce.

He assured full cooperation and support to PSABF for promoting trade and investment between Pakistan and African states.

(APP)