India furious about EU’s Pakistan textile decision
According to India’s Economic Times, India is to oppose the European Union’s decision to give preferential access to Pakistani textile exporters following the devastating floods (see sportstextiles 09.09.10).
Representatives from the Indian textile sector claim the move would put its exporters at a major disadvantage as they are still subject to duties of between 6% and 12%.
“This measure clearly violates the principle of general most favoured nation treatment [of the WTO],” DK Nair, secretary general of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, wrote in a letter to the country’s textiles ministry.
However, some officials, including exporters’ body FIEO, suggest India may not have as strong a case as it would like.
According to the newspaper, India exported textiles and clothing worth $5.9 billion to the EU in 2009, while Pakistan’s exports totalled $2.2 billion.
