Japan a big market for Pakistani exports: Zardari

President Zardari discusses economic cooperation with Japanese minister for economy, trade and industries.

TOKYO: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday told the Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade and Industries Banri Kaieda that Pakistan considers Japan a big market for its exports.

"Pakistan wants to start joint venture, consortium and enterprise businesses with Japan and is interested in increasing its exports to Japan," the president told the Japanese Minister, who called on him at a local hotel here.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the prospects of increased trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Japan, with a particular focus on the promotion of trade and investment ties.

Zardari said that Pakistan valued Japanese investments and economic cooperation in various fields and was keen to further boost it.

He said that Pakistani mango exports to Japan would be a boost to the agriculture sector.

Banri Kaieda said that Japan would continue its cooperation with Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Federal Minister for Textiles Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Chairman Board of Investment Salim Mandviwala, Secretary Commerce Salim Mahmood, Secretary Foreign Affairs Salman Bashir, Secretary Economic Affairs Division Sabtain Halim and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar were present during the meeting.

Pakistan's major exports to Japan are textile and textile articles and yarn is a major export product. Major imports from Japan are motor vehicles & their parts and machinery. Power generators and textile machinery constitute the main proportion of machinery import.

Japan is the fourth largest investment partner of Pakistan and major sectors of Japanese investment are joint venture projects mainly in the automobile sector, such as Pak-Suzuki Motor (Suzuki), Indus Motor (Toyota), Honda Atlas Cars (Honda), Gandhara Nissan Diesel (Nissan Diesel) and Hino Pak Motors (Hino).