Us Markets: Sea route could enhance mango exports

LAHORE: Pakistan is striving export mangoes to the US via a sea route to supplant the current 150,000 tonnes being transported by air, Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) CEO, Bashir Hussain said in a press conference on Wednesday. He said that freight charges are Rs300 per kg while the ship fare is only Rs25 per kg. He said that a sea route will help enhance the trade volume greatly. “In this way, we will be able to make the majority of the total American mango import of 650,000 tonnes,” he said. PHDEC sent its first shipment of mangoes to USA on July 27 and a formal launching ceremony was held in Chicago with Pakistan Ambassador Hussain Haqqani as the chief guest.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2011.