Trade preferences: US willing to consider unilateral programme

The United States administration has shown its willingness to consider unilateral trade preferences programme to help Pakistan overcome economic difficulties. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce here on Saturday this was revealed in the Trade Policy Agenda for 2011 to the US Congress, which provides a roadmap for US trade policy initiatives for 2011.
The policy document provides resolve of the US government to continue to support economic opportunities through trade for countries that have been particularly ravaged by disaster or violence. Two countries, including Haiti and Pakistan, have been specified in the report for such efforts.
The policy documents said that this year the US will also help Pakistani partners recover from last year's devastating floods by seeking to build economic prosperity through trade. "To this end, we will work with Congress to ensure renewal of GSP and to identify other mechanisms, including appropriate preference policies that can provide Pakistan the opportunities necessary to overcome challenges like the2010 floods", it added.
The statement further said that in this backdrop Minister of Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim had wrote a letter to US Ambassador Ron Kirk, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on September 2, 2010 requesting US support for Pakistan. During the recent visit of David Lipton to Pakistan, the Ministry of Commerce again requested the US administration for trade concessions highlighting the earlier request made by the Commerce Minister to the USTR.
In August 2010, Pakistan witnessed the worst floods in its history and requested the international community for immediate relief and assistance, it added. The statement claimed that Pakistan specific trade agenda for 2011 announced by the US is the result of comprehensive efforts of the leadership in which the Ministry of Commerce is playing an active role. The Ministry of commerce will continue to be engaged with the USTR to develop appropriate measures to realise this policy objective, it added.