All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) while strongly criticizing the decision of major foreign shipping lines to impose $100 surcharge on all import cargo from February 01, 2008 has urged upon the Government to press them to withdraw the decision.

In a statement issued to the press said that the unilateral decision of Foreign Shipping Lines and Container Terminal Management will have serious and harmful effects on the capability of the industries, importing raw material for manufacturing to compete in the international market.

He said that the textile industry being export-oriented industry is already facing severe crisis due to high cost of doing business that had badly affected investment and growth since 2006. The industry also has to contend with raw material crisis caused by huge reduction in size of domestic cotton crop and shortage of gas and electricity.

The imposition of such penalty will create further complications for such industrial units, which are already facing multiple problems and would put unbearable strain on it.