Hike on Import duty hits Pakistan farmers hard
Indian importers, who now have to pay 200 per cent duty on importing dates from Pakistan, have stopped importing goods from the country.
New Delhi: India’s decision to hike duties on imports from Pakistan after Pulwama attack has hit neighbouring country’s export of dates impacting its farmers.
Pakistan’s National Assembly was informed that the export of dates has declined sharply after India slapped a 200 per cent duty on Pakistan’s exports, according to reports in Pakistan newspapers.
Parliamentary secretary for commerce Shandana Gulzar Khan said in response to a calling attention notice in the National Assembly session that the decline in exports of dry dates is directly linked to the Pulwama attack in February.
Pakistan’s lawmakers said that if Pakistan did not use trade as leverage like India, around Rs 8 billion worth of goods sitting in godowns are likely to rot.
Shandana Khan said that since the Pulwama attack, Indian importers, who now have to pay 200 per cent duty on importing dates from Pakistan, have stopped importing goods from the country.