September 15, 2003

Anti-Dumping Law to Protect Pakistan from Chinese Poultry Imports

Pakistan's local poultry farmers will be protected from cheaper imports from China, when a new anti dumping law comes into place.

Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz announced this at the opening of a two-day National Poultry Congress in Lahore.  He admitted that China had been dumping poultry products in Pakistan since it lost its market during the SARS epidemic. An anti dumping duty thus has to be put in place if Pakistan was to protect its local industry.

However, he warned poultry farmers against increasing prices as a result of the anti-dumping duty, saying that farmers should not use this as an opportunity to raise prices. Instead, farmers should adopt new technology to increase output and quality.

The Finance Minister also criticised the huge subsidies paid to agricultural sectors in the developed world as being unfair, adding that, "The abolition of subsidies will help states like Pakistan compete in the world market and allow them to export and expand."

But he said that the domestic industry can for now, rely on government aid wherever possible.

Agriculture contributes as much as 26 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, forming a core sector in the country's economy.