WTO to take action on UAE grievance against Pakistan

Dubai - Panel formed to probe anti-dumping duties levied on biaxially-oriented polypropylene.

The World Trade Organisation has agreed to form a committee on the request of the UAE to probe into anti-dumping duties levied by Pakistan on biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP).
"At a meeting of the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body [DSB] on October 29, WTO members agreed to a request from the United Arab Emirates for the establishment of a panel to examine anti-dumping duties imposed by Pakistan on biaxially-oriented polypropylene [BOPP] from the UAE," the global trade body said in a statement.
In January 2018, the UAE had launched a trade complaint at the WTO to challenge Pakistan's duties on BOPP film, used in food packaging. The UAE's first request was blocked by Pakistan at a DSB meeting on May 28. The UAE said the measures were inconsistent with numerous provisions of the WTO's Anti-Dumping Agreement and that bilateral discussions had failed to resolve the dispute.
Pakistan said it regretted the UAE's decision to submit a second request for a panel and said all possible alternatives to resolving the dispute should have continued. Pakistan is still prepared to discuss the matter with the UAE but will also defend the measures before the panel, WTO said in a statement.
The US, the European Union, China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the Russian Federation and Afghanistan reserved their third-party rights to participate in the proceedings, the WTO said.
The newly-elected government of Pakistan is striving to reduce its ballooning trade deficit increasing exports and reducing imports. Pakistan has a huge trade deficit with China, Japan and the GCC countries due to huge oil imports. Imran Khan-led government is seeking broader access to markets from China and Japan in order to give fillip to exports and reduce imports.
During the 2017-18 fiscal year, Pakistan's trade deficit reached historical high of $37.6 billion with imports totalling $60.86 billion, which was 2.6 times of exports of $23.22 billion.
- waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• Pakistan