KATHMANDU, Dec 26: Nepal has filed petitions to register trademarks of pashmina in more than two dozen countries in order to gain an independent identity and regain the lost glory of the country’s once third largest exports.
"Applications for trademark with a clear product definition have been lodged in the US, Australia, the EU, Canada, Japan and Norway, among others," said Shankar Pandey, president of Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA).[break]
Processes are also on to lodge similar applications in China, South Korea and Switzerland as well, he told myrepublica.com.
Once registered, it will grant pashmina, a Nepali name for finest fur extract of mountain goats, as a typical Nepali product and define pashmina items as commodities bearing well-defined material content and traits.
Mainly, it will establish pashmina as a commodity different from Cashmere, a brand name of similar Indian and Chinese products. "Also, it will safeguard the pasmina exports from inferior quality snag, as manufacturers will need to adhere to well-defined material content specifications to prove their products as pashmina," said Pandey.
Manufacturers and exporters are hopeful that establishment of independent identity and specification of pashmina items will help them market the product and reclaim its lost market.
Nepali pashmina items had gained a sudden acclamation in the international market and carved niche market in late 1990s after fashion magazines attached it with high profile personalities including UK royalties. That soon boosted its exports to over Rs 7 billion in 2000 and expanded markets to as many as 75 countries.
However, failure in maintaining its quality and aggressive marketing of cashmere products as pashmina by India and China soon started to displace Nepali exports, resulting in its gradual decline in exports, which stood at Rs 540 million in 2007/08.
"Once our specifications are registered, only the items made from pashmina or a blend of pashmina and silk will be regarded as pashmina," said Madhu Babu Adhikari, chief program officer of NPIA.
Moreover, the content of pashmina should not be less than 50 percent for the item to be identified as pashmina products, he added.
At present, Indian and Chinese manufacturers are blending viscose yarn, acrylic wool, soybean fiber and poly-yarn in pashmina and selling them as pashmina products. "This malpractice is so widespread that large numbers of international buyers are being cheated every year," said Adhikari, adding that registration of content specifications will also enable buyers to differentiate between pashmina and non-pashmina products.
Moreover, it will safeguard Nepali exports from the risk of losing markets in Europe and Japan. The risk emerged after European and Japanese governments in 2007 warned Nepal to either define and accredit its products or face restrictions from 2009.
Subsequent to the announcement, the government and manufacturers joined hands to define the products and work for its certification. The government even expressed commitment last year to provide financial support of up to 70 percent to the NPIA to register the trademark.
NPIA has estimated that the registration would cost it as much as US $2,500 in each country. "As per the announcement, we have already requested the government to extend us support," said Pandey.
"Applications for trademark with a clear product definition have been lodged in the US, Australia, the EU, Canada, Japan and Norway, among others," said Shankar Pandey, president of Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA).[break]
Processes are also on to lodge similar applications in China, South Korea and Switzerland as well, he told myrepublica.com.
Once registered, it will grant pashmina, a Nepali name for finest fur extract of mountain goats, as a typical Nepali product and define pashmina items as commodities bearing well-defined material content and traits.
Mainly, it will establish pashmina as a commodity different from Cashmere, a brand name of similar Indian and Chinese products. "Also, it will safeguard the pasmina exports from inferior quality snag, as manufacturers will need to adhere to well-defined material content specifications to prove their products as pashmina," said Pandey.
Manufacturers and exporters are hopeful that establishment of independent identity and specification of pashmina items will help them market the product and reclaim its lost market.
Nepali pashmina items had gained a sudden acclamation in the international market and carved niche market in late 1990s after fashion magazines attached it with high profile personalities including UK royalties. That soon boosted its exports to over Rs 7 billion in 2000 and expanded markets to as many as 75 countries.
However, failure in maintaining its quality and aggressive marketing of cashmere products as pashmina by India and China soon started to displace Nepali exports, resulting in its gradual decline in exports, which stood at Rs 540 million in 2007/08.
"Once our specifications are registered, only the items made from pashmina or a blend of pashmina and silk will be regarded as pashmina," said Madhu Babu Adhikari, chief program officer of NPIA.
Moreover, the content of pashmina should not be less than 50 percent for the item to be identified as pashmina products, he added.
At present, Indian and Chinese manufacturers are blending viscose yarn, acrylic wool, soybean fiber and poly-yarn in pashmina and selling them as pashmina products. "This malpractice is so widespread that large numbers of international buyers are being cheated every year," said Adhikari, adding that registration of content specifications will also enable buyers to differentiate between pashmina and non-pashmina products.
Moreover, it will safeguard Nepali exports from the risk of losing markets in Europe and Japan. The risk emerged after European and Japanese governments in 2007 warned Nepal to either define and accredit its products or face restrictions from 2009.
Subsequent to the announcement, the government and manufacturers joined hands to define the products and work for its certification. The government even expressed commitment last year to provide financial support of up to 70 percent to the NPIA to register the trademark.
NPIA has estimated that the registration would cost it as much as US $2,500 in each country. "As per the announcement, we have already requested the government to extend us support," said Pandey.
milan@myrepublica.com
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