Pakistan likely to lose GSP Plus status

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Pakistan has reneged on various international agreements that include those relating to good governance, human rights and labour rights, the European Union's (EU) 10-year preferential trade agreement, GSP Plus, may not be extended, according to the Insideover. As envisaged by the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) scheme, the country has also failed to bring about sustained development and poverty reduction in Pakistan. In the year 2020, 28 per cent of Pakistan's total exports to the EU were duty-free thanks to its GSP Plus status, and 78 per cent of these exports went to the EU.

For the upcoming round, the EU has tightened the requirements for the GSP Plus programme, which grants duty-free access to more than 66 per cent of goods. To qualify for the GSP Plus programme, the nations will now need to submit a plan of action to implement more than 30 conventions. In such a scenario, the blatant human rights violations, blasphemy laws and rising religious intolerance, economic crisis and political instability appear to have created roadblocks for Pakistan's re-entry to the GSP Plus club.

EU officials find the new conditions are likely to pose challenges to Pakistan's prospects. There have been demands from businesses and intellectuals in Pakistan to take necessary measures to meet the requirements of GSP Plus, the Insideover reported. Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Executive Director Karamat Ali said human rights and labour rights were the most serious challenges for the country.