Islamabad, Pakistan – Trade tensions are overshadowing Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s current visit to Turkey. This follows the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce’s expression of reservations regarding the methodology adopted by the National Tariff Commission (NTC) in its anti-dumping investigations into soda ash imports from Türkiye and Kenya.
This dispute comes at a sensitive time, with official circles fearing that the issue will inevitably dominate the agenda of bilateral talks between Sharif and Turkish officials. Turkey’s objections, for its part, focus on the Tariff Commission’s departure from its previous practices. Turkey argues that the current methodology provides undue protection to an industry producing intermediate goods, while simultaneously harming manufacturers of high-value-added finished products in the Pakistani market.
Profit accounts are at the heart of the dispute.
In an official letter dated July 2, the Turkish Directorate General of Imports addressed the National Tariff Commission, criticizing the application of a 10% profit margin in the initial determination of the “non-harmful price” for domestic industry. The Turkish side emphasized that this percentage significantly exceeds the 5% profit margin used in previous investigations. They argued that this inflates the “loss margin” and unfairly increases provisional anti-dumping duties. The Turkish authorities urged the Commission to revise its calculations and adopt the 5% margin, in line with administrative precedent. The Turkish Embassy in Islamabad, through its Commercial Counselor’s Office, also requested a “fair and objective assessment” of the investigation. It further asserted that the Turkish government and exporting companies had provided the National Tariff Commission with all necessary responses and assessments.
Internal pressures from the industry
وعلى الصعيد الداخلي في باكستان، لم يقتصر النزاع على الموقف التركي فحسب، بل دخلت شركة “International Silicate” على خط الأزمة. وطالبت الشركة رسمياً رئيس لجنة التعريفات الوطنية بإجراء تحقيق مستقل في ما وصفته بـ “تضارب خطير في المصالح وتحيز إداري”. في رسالة منفصلة، حذرت الشركة من أن القرار الأولي للجنة تضمن “حسابات متحيزة”. كما شددت على أن الاستمرار في فرض هذه الرسوم سيؤدي إلى ارتفاع حاد في تكاليف المواد الخام للصناعات التحويلية المحلية. وأوضحت الشركة أن هذا التوجه قد يفاقم الأعباء الاقتصادية، مما ينذر بإغلاق المصانع وفقدان الكثير من الوظائف.
It is worth noting that Pakistan initiated an anti-dumping investigation into soda ash imports on July 18, 2025, and issued its initial ruling on January 15. With increasing Turkish pressure and domestic warnings, attention is now focused on the outcome of diplomatic talks in Ankara aimed at resolving this contentious trade issue.
