ANKARA - Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Sunday that the United States should continue to implement "low customs tax" on Turkish export goods.
In an exclusive interview with the A.A correspondent, Tuzmen said he paid a visit to Washington D.C. to attend the American-Turkish Council meetings and to discuss problems on trade.
Tuzmen said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. trade representative Susan Schwab attended the talks.
"We have discussed the ways how the Turkish exporters can make use of the Generalized System of Preferences. Turkey`s exports to the United States was negatively affected as U.S. dollar lost value. U.S. should continue to implement low customs tax to Turkish export products. Schwab said United States also wanted Turkey to benefit more from the Generalised System of Preferences," Tuzmen said.
He said gold and jewelry products were among the Generalised System of Preferences, noting that exports of gold and jewelery were the most important items of exports to the United States, "Turkey made 300 million USD exports on the products in question," he added.
Tuzmen said gold and jewelery should be excluded from the Generalised System of Preferences, adding, "United States should not change the principles it has been implementing on Turkey`s gold and jewelery exports."
Tuzmen also said, "EU wants to bring a definition which will restrict boron trade. Turkey will defend its rights on the matter within the framework of the rules of the World Trade Organization."
Boron, a semi-metallic element, exhibits some properties of metal as well as of non-metal.
Turkey has almost 72 percent of the world`s boron potential and boron reserves. The importance of boron--widely used in industries ranging from detergent industry to glass industry--will increase as hydrogen fuelled motor vehicles are introduced.
(AY)