Singapore, S Korea register pashmina trademark

KATHMANDU: Nepal pashmina has registered its trademark in two more countries — Singapore and South Korea.

Now with these two countries registering the Nepali pashmina trademark, the number of countries where Nepali pashmina is registered has reached six, including Norway, Australia, Switzerland and Japan.

Apart from these six countries, the European Union (EU) has also registered the Nepali pashmina trademark.

According to the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA), it has completed its trademark registration procedure in the United States, China, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico.

Among the different countries NPIA where has applied and got confirmation of

trademark registration EU, the United States and the United Kingdom are the largest buyers of Nepali

pashmina products.

With the brand name Chyangra Pashmina, NPIA has made an official launch in the domestic market too. The trademark in the local market will be available for members of NPIA.

Along with brand registration, NPIA hopes to check the market of fake pashmina at both the national and international levels.

Lack of public awareness and absence of trademark in the market has increased the export of fake pashmina.

Customers are being cheated by fake pashmina having low quality but cheaper rate than original pashmina.

Different countries are still misusing the name of Nepali pashmina to sell products made of viscous polyester, wool, cotton and other textile material.

“Once the brand Chyangra Pashmina gets registered worldwide, export of fake Pashmina will be controlled,” said NPIA president Shankar Prasad Pandey.

After great effort, NPIA inked an agreement with Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) regarding a mechanism to get loan from TEPC for brand promotion of Nepali pashmina abroad.

According to the agreement, TEPC will grant loan to NPIA on a three-instalment basis — Rs 10 lakh, Rs 8 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.

NPIA recently received the first installment. TEPC board has made a fund allocation of Rs 25 lakh for the brand promotion of Nepali pashmina.