IT pains us a great deal to note that there is a serious misuse of Harmonised System Code (Commodity Classification) on the import of steel products coming to Pakistan from the People’s Republic of China.

This is resulting in loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer of Pakistan.

Several notable importers are evading taxes and misdeclaring their products as non-alloy carbon steels, whereas these steel products are bearing detrimental alloy additions like boron.

As evidenced in the press, it has come to our attention that wire rod importers are importing Wire Rod SAE 1008B from China bearing boron. Any carbon steel having 0.0008 per cent or more boron is classified as alloy steel.

The Harmonised System Code for alloy grade wire rod 1008B bearing boron alloy content is HS 7227.9000, which attracts a 20 per cent import duty. These importers are only paying five per cent using the Free Trade Agreement.

Owing to these illegal activities of the importers, local steel industries are unable to compete against the misdeclared steel that is being dumped from China into Pakistan. Most importantly, the jobs of at least 20,000 innocent workers of the steel industry are at risk due to the irresponsible actions of the local importers.

Moreover, our national exchequer is sustaining severe loses in stringent financial times.

MUHAMMAD IRFAN Karachi