巴基斯坦: APTMA对进口棉花关税的增加表示担心
APTMA concerned over increase in duty on cotton import
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has expressed great concern over the callous attitude of the government in increasing the duty on import of raw cotton from two percent to three percent which along with the additional duty of one percent has increased the incidence of total import duty to four percent.
This at a time when the textile industry is reeling from the effects of a total crop failure as the production of cotton in the year 2015-16 has declined by almost 35 percent. Furthermore, cultivation of cotton this year is expected to decline by approximately 25 percent which will ultimately decline the availability of cotton to the spinning industry compelling them to import cotton at four percent custom duty.
Tariq Saud Chairman APTMA said APTMA had been pleading with the government to totally remove import duty on cotton so that the textile industry could operate in an efficient manner. "But instead of accepting reality, they have chosen to increase duty and further exacerbate the industry's plight," he added.
He further said it was not possible for the textile industry to continue to operate in those conditions and contribute to higher exports and provision of yarn to the domestic downstream if they were made to pay such exorbitant amount of duty on its basic raw material. Pakistan had become a net importer of raw cotton and even then the textile industry was trying to remain competitive while contributing to the national exchequer as well as providing millions of jobs, he added. "But if we have to import over four million bales due to crop failures then import duty must be abolished," he demanded.
译文如下：
巴基斯坦: APTMA对进口棉花关税的增加表示担心
巴基斯坦纺织厂协会(APTMA)对政府提高原棉进口关税从2%增加到3%，还额外增加1%使之变成4%的无情态度表示很大的担忧。
关税上涨恰恰是在纺织业由于作物歉收受到影响之时，因为2015-2016年度棉花产量下降了近35%。此外, 今年棉花种植面积预计将下降约25%，最终会导致纺纱行业缺乏棉花,迫使他们以4%的关税进口商品。
APTMA主席Tariq Saud说，APTMA已经恳求政府彻底取消棉花的进口关税，这样纺织行业可以有效经营。“但是取而代之的是他们得接受现实,政府选择增加关税,进一步加剧该行业的困境,”他补充道。
他进一步表示, 在这样的条件下，纺织业是不可能继续生存的, 如果他们要为基本原料支付如此高昂的关税，这将导致出口价格更高和为国内下游提供纱线的规定。巴基斯坦已经成为原棉的纯进口国,甚至纺织业也曾试图保持竞争力，对国家财政以及提供数以百万计的工作岗位做出贡献,他补充说。”但如果我们由于作物歉收必须进口超过四百万包的棉花，那么进口税必须废除,”他要求道。