ISLAMABAD, March 22 (Online): Pakistan has imposed bar officially on the import of poultry products from 11 countries toavert bird flu menace. These countries include Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. This was told by the minister for commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan while replying to written questions in national assembly session on Friday.

Commerce minister informed that Export promotion bureau has taken initiatives to contact the government authorities of the countries to whom it export poultry in order to convince that Pakistan is free from H5N1 type disease.

Owing to bird flu propaganda, export of live bird from Pakistan to other countries witnessed 32.4 percent decrease in December 2003, 25.61 percent in January, 2004 and 100 percent decline was recorded in export of eggs during the period of November and December 2003, he told. Government is taking all possible measures to counter the impression of spread of bird flu, he assured.

Commerce minister replying to another question told the house that the country has earned a sizeable amount of foreign exchange due to the export of cotton, hosiery, bed sheets, cotton yarn, ready made clothes, operation apparatus, rice, art silk, sythetic textile, leather garments and products, textile, chemical, petroleum products, fruit, engineering goods, leather footwear to other countries.

To another question, the commerce minister told that Pakistan, under trade policy 2003-04 has taken a number of policy initiatives. They are enterprise capacity building, acquisition of foreign brand names, marketing and brand developments, relocation of industry in Pakistan from the developed countries, incentivisation of exporters through public recognition of high export performance, establishment of garment cities in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, several promotional schemes in agro, horticulture and fisheries sectors, bilateral trade enhancement based on special relationship, re-structuring of export promotion bureau and facilities of exporters.

Commerce minister told that garments valuing $862 million and $526 million were exported to US and European union during 2003. Out of cotton yarn quota, exports of $ 57 million were made to European union. No quota was fixed for export of cotton yarn for US and cotton yarn and ready made garments for Far East.

Commerce Minister further told that exports volume during the year, 2002-03 stood at $11 billion and 160 million which were higher by 22.17 percent as compared to last year.

Dr. Khalid