Govt, entrepreneurs join hands to register carpet trademark

REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Dec 1: In a fresh push to promote exports of Nepali carpets, the government and private sector have jointly initiated the process of registering a collective trademark of Nepali woolen carpet. Under the process, trademark is first registered with the government for its recognition before starting registration in destination countries. Inspired by the success of Chyangra Pashmina - the trademark of Nepali pashmina products, carpet entrepreneurs have initiated the process of registering trademark for Nepali woolen carpet. “We have already held a meeting with officials of Trade and Export Promotion Center (TEPC) and agreed to form a committee comprising of representatives from both government and carpet entrepreneurs to oversee the process of registering the new trademark,” Anup Malla, president of Carpet Exporters Association, told Republica on Sunday. “The process will speed up once the committee is formed.” After the Chyangra Pashmina trademark was registered with the government three years ago, pashmina entrepreneurs have registered the trademark in 39 countries. The process to register the trademark in four more countries - South Africa, China, Russia and the UAE - is currently underway. With registration of collective trademark, Malla said Nepali carpet would be able to expand its international market. “We can establish our own identity by supplying quality carpets at a time when low-quality products from India and China are flooding the international market,” he added. RMG, carpet, Pashmina exports jumps Exports of readymade garments (RMGs), pashmina products and hand-knotted woolen carpet jumped significantly in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. Data compiled by Nepal Rasta Bank (NRB) shows exports of apparels to overseas market shot up by 31 percent to Rs 1.19 billion compared to the amount recorded during the same period last year. Nepal´s garment exports had declined by 40 percent in the first quarter of 2012/13, compared to 2011/12. RMGs exports to India surged by 43 percent to Rs 94.4 million during the review period. In the same period last year, apparel exports to India had gone down by 67 percent. Uday Raj Pandey, president of Garment Association Nepal (GAN), said double digit rise in the exports during the first quarter of 2013/14 was an indication that Nepali apparels are gaining ground in international market. “However, there is no guarantee that exports will keep growing. Exports may fall down given the volatile international market and our weak supply capacity,” said Pandey. He also said exports of garments from last year´s order during the review quarter might have also jacked up the export volume. Similarly, exports of pashmina products to third countries jumped by 47.1 percent to Rs 720.4 million during the review quarter. Pashmina exports to India, however, went down by 7.9 percent to Rs 17.5 million. Bijay Kumar Dugar, general secretary at Nepal Pashmina Industries Association, attributed rise in export of pashmina products to market diversification and positive impact of promotion of Chyangra Pashmina trademark in international market. “We have started to see positive impacts of our marketing efforts through Chyangra Pashmina trademark,” Dugar told Republica on Sunday. Nepal exported woolen carpet, country´s second largest export, worth to Rs 2.16 billion - a rise of 24.5 percent -- during the review quarter. In the same period last year, carpet exports had increased by only 4.9 percent. Given the slowdown in European countries, a key market for Nepali carpet, Malla said growth in carpet exports will not last long. “Pending orders from last year drove up exports in this quarter,” he added. “We don´t expect the growth trend to continue as we are not receiving impressive demands from foreign markets.”
Published on 2013-12-02 02:28:37