Palm oil exports to Pakistan may rise if US imposes sanctionsKuala Lumpur (Business Times) 6/28/2001Malaysia's palm oil exports to Pakistan may increase by 20-25 per cent ifthe US decides to impose trade sanctions on the re-public as the sanctionswill halt Pakistan's import of US soya bean and soyabean oil.Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) chief executive M. R. Chandran saidif the US decides to take action against Pakistan, Malaysia stands tobenefit."Pakistan which imported 1 million tonnes of Malaysia's palm oil last yearcan easily import an additional amount of between 200,000 tonnes to250,000 tonnes if the sanction comes into effect," Chandran told BusinessTimes in Kuala Lumpur last Friday."If the sanction takes place, it will be in Malaysia's favour because theUS would halt exports of soya bean and soyabean oil to the republic andPakistan will have to source alternative oils elsewhere," Chandran said.President Pervez Musharraf, the military ruler in October 1999, had oustedthe elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodlessmilitary coup as part of his efforts to introduce reforms after accusingthe Government of widespread corruption and violations of the country'sconstitution.Musharaff had also dissolved the suspended National Assembly and the fourprovisional assemblies, moves that were widely criticised by manycountries, especially the US, as undemocratic.Pakistan and India have both been slapped with an arms embargo byWashing-ton since May 1998 for con-ducting nuclear tests.Pakistan had also received the sanctions by the US for its part inreceiving missile development technology from China late last year.According to the MPOA, an association formed last year represented by 91plantation companies, Pakistan imported 334,000 tonnes of soyabean oil in1999 and 163,000 tonnes last year.