Pakistan shifts to negative list for trade with India

22 Mar 2012 Evaluate

In a move to normalize trade relation between two countries, the Pakistan government issued a notification for switching over to a negative list regime for trade with India, from the earlier positive list. This will allow India to export 6,000 items to Pakistan from the current 2,000. The notification will also help standardize relations between the two countries.

The negative list now includes a total of 1,209 items that cannot be imported from India. Of the remaining 6,000 items, 137 products can be transported to Pakistan through the Wagah border. These include livestock, vegetables and newsprint in rolls or sheets.

Pakistani manufacturers can also import raw materials, except basic materials that are locally manufactured and packing material needed for pharmaceutical products once they are approved by the Director General of Health. The import of vaccines will be allowed only from Indian plants that have been approved by the World Health Organisation.

India has long been pressing on the need to increase bilateral trade between the two countries instead of waiting for a resolution on the Kashmir issue. It had also demanded Pakistan to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status which India has already accorded it in 1996. However Pakistan and several of its jihadi groups have been insisting that Kashmir is the main issue and no other relations can be developed unless this is resolved.

In 2010-11, the India-Pakistan trade stood at $2.6 billion. Both sides have set a target of $6 billion worth of bilateral trade by 2014.

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