Pakistan is likely to seek the removal of non-tariff barriers on its cement in India at the two-day trade meeting that started in Islamabad today.
Indian authorities certify the quality of Pakistani cement every year and do not allow imports to come through road, which are considered as non-tariff barriers by Islamabad.
“Cement is a major issue for Pakistan and it is likely to be pushed by Islamabad during the talks. We can expect some progress on the issue as we need cement for our rapid infrastructure development,” commerce ministry sources said.
The two-day talks between commerce secretary Rahul Khullar and Pakistani counterpart Zafar Mahmood began in Islamabad today.
The talks will focus on trade expansion and the removal of non-tariff barriers between the two countries.
After a six-month delay, the Bureau of Indian Standards issued quality certificates to cement units in Pakistan last week, which could result in the export of a lakh tonnes of the commodity in the next three months. However, the BIS allows exports only through the sea and rail routes.
Islamabad is likely to press for the renewal of the certificate once in three years rather than annually and seek permission for the movement of trucks with cement bags through Wagah as most of the units are located near this border area.
It could also suggest to the BIS to engage an international inspection firm operating in Pakistan such as Moody International and SGS or get the quality of the exported cement checked at an Indian laboratory, reducing both cost and time.
Officials said India could agree to Pakistan’s demand on certification every three years and the road transport of cement as the country needs the commodity in huge amounts for building infrastructure.
However, Indian cement firms do not want the government to put them at a disadvantage.
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