UN sanctions on Iran: Pakistan loses lucrative mango destination

Pakistani exports of fruit, which is already facing a declining trend, has lost a lucrative market of neighbouring country Iran, where at least 30,000 tones of mango were being exported previously, as a result of trade embargo imposed by United Nations on Tehran.

With the loss of this market, exporters have faced almost $10 million worth exports of mango during the ongoing season, said Waheed Ahmed, Co-Chairman, Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA) in a statement on Monday.

As commercial banks in the country are reluctant to issue E Form to exporters owing to, what they claim, UN Security Council’s sanctions on the neighbouring country, no formal export of mango was to Tehran was registered so far this year, he said adding that this loss would drastically reduce the over all exports of mango. Mango exports have already been reduced by 15 percent as only 40,000 tones of the fruit have been sent abroad.

Besides, no export of mango to other potential markets of Japan and United States has been recorded this year. According to him, Kinnow, another important fruit having considerable share in the country’s exports of fruit, has also faced the same isuue in Iran where only 6,000 tones were exported this year against the traditional trade of 60,000 tones from Pakistan. Besides the UN sanctions, Iranian restrictions on imports to save local products during various seasons also hurt Pakistani exports.

Keeping the serious negative impacts of the issue on Pakistani exports, PFVA, he said, has issued letters to Ministry of Commerce to engage diplomatic channel to resolve the issue. He informed that though SBP has clarified its stand on the UNSC ban on Tehran, the commercial banks were reluctant to show any flexibility over opening LC and issuance of E Form.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

Incoming search terms:

• pakistan mango
• mango export in 2013 pakistan
• pakistani mango exports 2012