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Pakistan is hoping that the US Congress will pass the upcoming reconstruction opportunity zone legislation. This will allow Pakistan and Afghanistan to export some textiles, clothing and other goods without paying US duties.
Pakistan Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan told Reuters after talks with US Trade Representative Susan Schwab in Washington, on August 6, 2007: “I think this is a good initiative of the United States government to handle some of the counter-terrorism issues.”
He was referring to the Bush administration's pledge to work on legislation that would create job opportunities in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan that are hotbeds of militant activity. In fact, the issue had figured in talks between the presidents of the two countries in Islamabad in March 2006.
Efforts to provide duty-free treatment for Pakistani goods have been strongly resisted by US textile interests that fear the trade benefits would cost American jobs.
The proposed reconstruction opportunity zones are similar to a programme that provides US duty-free access for certain Egyptian and Jordanian goods made in designated “qualified industrial zones” with Israeli components.
On another issue, Khan said he and Schwab agreed to boost efforts to finish nearly three-year-old talks on a bilateral investment treaty, which have been progressing rather slowly.
August 7, 2007
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