The Sports Goods Sector in Pakistan - TRTA i

inspected by the consultants, it is also seen whether the factory has a trade union, do theemployees have freedom of speech, what is the cleanliness level in the factory, is the factorywell lit, does the factory have large corridors, what is the standard of family quarters, areworkers getting standard food, etc.Technical auditsThe consultants ensure whether companies have enough machines, appropriate work force,breakdowns, health and safety conditions, frequency of use of inflammable substances, etc.Some clients are very specific as to how, for example, a broken needle gets disposed off, toensure it was not just chucked away particularly during shoe processing. After inspection, theconsultants give the company a score ranging from 1-10 (10 being the highest score). Everycompany has its own pre-defined ideal score. If the company is given a low score, then theconsultant suggests recommendations to the company to improve the score by adopting certainmethods in a specific period. If the company meets all the suggestions, the consultants referbuyers to contact that company. Small customers normally do not go for technical audits.Rules and regulations related to importsImport against indemnity. There are certain raw materials available in India, but for politicalreasons, Pakistan cannot import from India. European and Chinese raw materials are mostlyused. The Footwear Association feels that companies should get permission to import rawmaterials from India as well.Shoes should not be made from the skin of endangered species. Sometimes the buyer or thebuyer’s country requires certification for each shipment. For imported machinery, somecompanies also do inspection by a third party before shipment comes to Pakistan.2.3.3 Non-tariff barriersQuality and standard for footwearThere is no European Union standard for footwear other than for safety footwear. Most of theimporters (manufacturers, wholesalers, retail organisations, etc.) work with minimumrequirements. Despite EU harmonisation, individual markets have different requirementsregarding quality, materials, sizes, colours, etc. In this respect, they have formulated andstipulated minimum quality requirements, relating to both materials and make. A great numberof tests can be used to test if the applied materials (leather, textiles, etc.) meet the standardsrequired by the customers. Ground properties common to any leathers concern mechanicalstrength-tests, like tensile strength and, more importantly, tear strength. Methods of testing(excluding footwear for professional use) are mainly based on European norms (EN) ornational standards, and otherwise on ISO standards.Many countries have their own system of test methods as specified/used by their respectivestandardisation organisations: DIN in Germany, NEN in the Netherlands, BS in the UKand AFNOR in France. The CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and ISO(International Organisation for Standardisation) are drawing up business-to-businessstandards, enabling footwear manufacturers to pursue a "total quality" policy if they so wish.CEN/TC 309 is preparing to standardise test methods, terminology and performanceInternational Trade Centre 21