Boosting trade key to success, says TDAP official

Pakistan has strong trade relations with Central Asia in textile, garments and agro-based products: Rabia Javeri

KARACHI: Exposure of Pakistani products in the global market will help the country come out of trade deficit in the coming years, said secretary of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

“Pakistan has strong trade complementarities with Central Asia especially in textile, garments and agro-based products,” said Rabiya Javeri Agha. “It is time we take economic advantage of this.”

To overcome the trade deficit and boost exports, TDAP has taken an initiative of Pakistan Trade Caravan to the Central Asian countries, which was recently held in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.



Secretary TDAP Rabiya Javeri Agha. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The trade deficit – gap between exports and imports – widened 5.5% to $16.9 billion as reported the national data collecting agency.

The caravan opened at Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, aimed at fostering trade and investment relations between Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

“The launching of the Eurasian Economic Union has created opportunity for Pakistani goods to enter through Kyrgyzstan and move freely into Russia, Belarus and Armenia,” said the TDAP secretary.

“This provides Pakistan a chance to capitalise on a market of over 180 million people."

According to Agha, TDAP had made special arrangements of business-to-business (B2B) meetings for delegates and exhibitors. There was a lot of interest among buyers in leather, pharmaceutical, textile products, surgical instruments and sports goods.

During the events, held from May 13-25, a number of companies took part in B2B sessions with their Pakistani counterparts.

“The trade caravan of TDAP is just the beginning but hopefully it will pave the way for greater regional trade and national prosperity in the future,” said Agha.



As the Pakistani mangoes are globally famous for their taste and quality and it has a major share in the exports of the country, TDAP had also organised an exhibition at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in which over 100 delegates were present at the exhibition.

The highlight of the show was a mango tasting segment, which drew great enthusiasm and interest. Over three tonnes of mangoes had been brought to Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan.