As per the sources, Pakistan and China have added handmade carpets in their free trade deal for promoting and encouraging Pakistan’s carpet sector that employs thousands of women.
According to the statement of VC of Pakistan’s Carpet Manufacturers & Exporters Association- Riaz Ahmed, the carpet industry had “hit rock bottom because to various trade-related challenges.”
According to Ahmed, in the handmade carpet sector, 70percent of the staff are women. “Pakistan is a huge handmade carpet manufacturing market in the region,Its cheap labour costs are attractive for Chinese investors.” Said Ahmed.
Back in 2015, Pakistan’s exports of handmade carpets decreased from $300 million to $68 million because of increasing shipping charges, rising tax duties, customs clearance & warehouse expenditures. And consequently, thousands of women who worked as daily wagers lost their jobs.
But now, with the insertion of hand made carpets in the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, 313 export products will receive duty-free access to China’s $2 trillion import market.
