China and Pakistan have implemented the second phase of a free trade agreement on. Its implementation will have a major impact on the Indian textile sector, meat products, and some others areas.
The two countries have completed all the legal procedures and formalities to start the implementation of the agreement.
With the implementation of the new tariff line, cotton yarn, textiles, and garments, seafood, meat and other animal products, will be duty-free.
On 28 April, the two countries agreed to further “enrich China-Pakistan all-weather strategy cooperation partner relations”, which upgraded the original free trade agreement’s goods trade market admittance and tariff cutting table.
“After the protocol’s coming into effect, the tax item ratio to carry out mutual zero-tariff goods will be increased from 35% to 75%. Besides this, both parties will carry out a 20% partial tax decrease on other goods that occupy 5% of their respective tax items", China's Ministry of Commerce stated while providing details about the impact of this second phase.
The new phase of the agreement may harm Indian interests, as cotton yarn exports to China constitute around 30 percent of India's cotton yarn exports.
Signed in November 2006, the first phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement came into effect in July 2007. In March 2011, China and Pakistan started the second phase negotiations in the free trade agreement.