Islamabad
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan Swati Tuesday told Senate that Pakistan had been exporting pink salt to India at an average price of Rs 7.04 per kilogramme.
Speaking in the Senate, he said it was incorrect that Pakistan was exporting pink salt to India under any contractual arrangement at 37 paisa per kilogramme. The fact was that India was the world’s largest exporter of rock salt with annual exports of around 12.8 million tonnes, it was told.
Since India exported low quality industrial salt, mainly used in soda ash, the value of exported salt was US$ 226 million with average unit price of US$ 18 per ton or Pakistan rupees Rs 2.7 per kilogramme.
On the other hand, Pakistan exported around 301,344 tonnes of rock salt worth US$ 52 million in 2018. Pakistan exported to India round 72,631 tonnes of rock salt worth US$ 3.4 million at average unit price of US$ 47 per metric tonnes.
It included both the industrial salt, used for soda ash and the table salt. Thus, Pakistan exported rock salt to India at nearly three times higher price than Indian export price.
Pakistan’s export price to India was also nearly the same as the global average trade price of US$ 45 per ton. The minister said there were false reports in media, especially social media, claiming that Pakistan was exporting salt to India under an agreement at a price of 25 paisa per kg, which was re-exported by India at more than Rs 3000 per kg.
Since India had imposed 200 percent duty on import from Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama incident, there were demands for Pakistan to stop export of rock salt to India and inflict heavy damage to Indian exports of salt, he added.
He said Pakistan should export value added products like soda ash instead of rock salt, clinker instead of gypsum, garments instead of yarn and fabrics. However, it was an open economy and it was job of the private sector to capitalize on the market opportunities, he added.—APP
