WTO Trade Policy Review of Pakistan

----Written questions from China

Secretariat Report

Page 20 para.9

II.        trade policy regime:  framework and objectives                                                                 

(3)           Trade Policy Formulation And Implementation                                                                              

(i)      Objectives and strategies

Trade is an important part of Pakistan's development and poverty-reduction strategy.  Vision 2030, adopted in May 2005, aims to turn Pakistan into a developed country by 2030 through rapid and sustainable development by, inter alia, deploying knowledge-intensive import items.

Could Pakistan please explain in detail on how its trade policies could contribute to achieve this development goal?

Secretariat Report

Page 32 para.38

(5) Foreign Investment Regime

Since its last Review, Pakistan has signed 30 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) bringing the total to 48. The authorities indicate that a BIT with the United States would facilitate greater investment and other economic cooperation.

Could Pakistan please explain in more detail on how such arrangements would facilitate investment and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the United States?

Secretariat Report

Page 52 para.55

III trade policies and practices by measure

(2)       Measures Directly Affecting Imports

(vii)              Government procurement

Pakistan is not a signatory or observer to the plurilateral WTO Agreement on Government Procurement and does not currently have plans to join it. However, according to the authorities, Pakistan’s current government procurement framework is based upon international best practices aimed at eliminating corruption, improving transparency, reducing delays, and enhancing accountability.

Could Pakistan provide further information on the structure and the operation of Pakistan’s current government procurement framework?

From some sources of information, we have noted that Pakistan has become an important exporter of ethanol internationally.

Could Pakistan provide some information on its experiences of developing its ethanol production and export?

WTO Trade Policy Review of Pakistan

---- Additional written questions from China

Secretariat Report

Page 26 para.18

II.                   Trade policy regime:  framework and objectives

(4)    Trade Agreements and Arrangements

(ii)Regional and other preferential Arrangements

As an active promoter and participant of free trade, Pakistan is a member of several regional or plurilateral arrangements.

Could Pakistan please indicate any further plan on its participation of regional or plurilateral arrangements?

Page 42 para.21

III.    trade policies and practices by measure

(2)    Measures Directly Affecting Imports

(ii) Tariff

Currently, Pakistan maintains an average bound tariff rate 3 times higher than its average applied tariff rate.

Could Pakistan please elaborate the necessity of maintaining this difference between its bound rate and applied rate?

Page 43 para.24

Currently, the average MFN tariff of Pakistan is 14.5% while the rates for certain products are much higher, reaching nearly 90%.

Could Pakistan please explain the reason of maintaining this high tariff rate for those products?

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