Pakistan allows import of mild steel from India
ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the government has allowed import of "mild steel structures" from India that will be used for construction of houses and office buildings in the earthquake-hit areas.
To this effect the Ministry of Commerce on Saturday issued a notification allowing the import of mild steel structures from India. "Earlier it was strictly banned in the wake of stiff opposition from local industry," an official said.
The magnitude of devastation is too high and the local industry alone will not be able to meet the requirements of steel structures, the official said. "The rationale behind the decision is that transportation cost in importing mild steel from India is comparatively very low and economical," he added.
Replying to a question, the official said the list of importable items from India has now swelled to 723 with the permission of importing the steel structures. The official said the government through the Import Policy Order, 2005, had earlier notified a list of 722 items for import from India and the new notification states that the mild steel structures would be the item number 773. The notification states: "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950 (XXXIX of 1950), the Federal Government is pleased to direct that the following further amendment shall be made in the Import Policy Order, 2005, namely: In the aforesaid Order, in Appendix G, after serial number 772 in column (1) and the entries relating thereto in columns (2) and (3), the following new serial number and the entries relating thereto shall be added, namely: ‘773. Respective headings mild steel for structures’."
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