Pakistan has yet to receive an extension for the European Union’s (EU) Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) program, the Ministry of Commerce clarified.
“Pakistan is in the process of the next review, and hopefully, will get the extension,” the MoCom said to clarify claims on social media that the EU had granted the country an extension already.
The GSP+ cuts tariffs on Pakistani imports entering the EU to zero if the country complies with 27 international human rights conventions.
Pakistan received a two-year extension in 2020 after passing an EU review. The bloc’s review committee will review Pakistan’s performance and decide whether to award another extension in 2022.
Separately, Abdul Razak Dawood, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, refuted rumors of the EU ending Pakistan’s GSP+ facility.
“The country has two years to get benefit and we are planning to extend this facility for a further two years, so do not pay attention to rumors,” he said at the inauguration ceremony of the Pakistan Footwear Designers Hub, according to The Express Tribune.
In April, the European Parliament called for an additional review of Pakistan’s GSP+ status based on an increase in blasphemy accusations and religious violence.
