United States licensor Walt Disney has eliminated Pakistan from its list of 'Permitted Sourcing Countries' from April 1, after the country failed to satisfy the trading partner company of its intentions to improve its ‘poor governance standards’.

Sources claim that any importer or exporter, if found violating the ban on Pakistani goods would not only pay heavy penalty but may also get blacklisted from the list. The American giant’s decision has made a negative impact on Pakistan’s 200-million dollars exports of textile products. The company has also issued a notice to Bangladesh warning them of similar action against them. The company had put Pakistan on its watch list because of repeated incidents of factory fires in textile garment units.

However, the Bangladesh government managed to get a waiver by getting a placement in ILO/IFC ‘Better Work Programme’ that allows close monitoring of the country for social audit. Industry players are viewing this move as an irony with recent fire and building collapse calamities claiming several lives in Bangladesh.

Thewaltdisneycompany.com