KARACHI - To secure market access for textile products abroad negotiation for bilateral agreements with EU and the US is actively taken up by the Ministry of Commerce as there is a ready market of our products in these regions. The statement was made by Zafar Mahmood, Secretary, Ministry of commerce during his visit to APTMA. Secretary Commerce informed the meeting that a Delegation of Buyers of Textile Products of United States is expected to visit Pakistan in September/October 2010. He further informed that China is considering to facilitate Pakistan by providing concession in exports as well as concessionary arrangements for participating in number of exhibitions taking place over there. Zafar Mahmood while answering to the query said that he strongly believes in Free Market Mechanism and advocated against any ban or restriction on a sub sector of a value chain as it is against the rules of WTO Agreement. Shahzad Ahmed, Chairman - APTMA expressed his gratitude to the Secretary Commerce for his efforts in helping APTMA to achieve the restoration of the free market mechanism in the textile trade and has allowed the Regulatory Duty on yarn exports to lapse. He informed Secretary Commerce that the industry has to import about 3.5 million bales i.e. 25% of our consumption but have never demanded any ban or restriction on export of cotton. Shahzad Ahmed informed Secretary Commerce that APTMA at various occasions pointed out that the spinning industry is in serious shortage of both its primary raw materials viz. cotton and polyester but a number of trade restrictions have been imposed on PSF resultantly usage of synthetic fibre is only 18% of Pakistans raw material mix as compared to 60% prevalent in the world. He said that there is currently serious tariff anomaly whereby PSF blended yarn has 0% import duty but the import of PSF as raw material is subjected to a punitive regime of 6.0% import duty. Due to closure of Dewan Salman Fibers difference between local Pakistani PSF and international PSF prices has ballooned to a staggering figure of almost 30% making our exports uncompetitive. He appealed to the Govt that if Pakistan has to reach an export target of $25 billion by 2014 all restrictions and tariffs on import of raw materials of limited availability in Pakistan have to be removed and also allow import of PSF from India to meet its shortage through all entry points.