Pakistan, Uzbekistan start goods delivery
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a meeting with Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Dr Abdulaziz Kamilov at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 10, 2021. PHOTO: APP
Pakistani transport company Best Trans Private Limited and Uzbekistan freight forwarding company Asad Trans have for the first time implemented a pilot trans-Afghan logistics project for direct delivery of Uzbekistan’s export goods to Pakistan through Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by the embassy of Uzbekistan in Pakistan, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, the partners of Asad Trans and Best Trans since January 2021 had been working on a project for direct delivery (through Afghanistan) of Uzbekistan goods to Pakistani cities according to the suppliers-importers warehouse scheme.
The transportation of Uzbekistan goods via transit was in line with the trans-Afghan transport and logistics project initiated by the president of Uzbekistan.
The successful implementation of the project will significantly reduce the cost of transportation, including the shipments from Uzbek-Afghan border and subsequently through Afghan-Pakistan border in accordance with the TIR Carnets Convention of 1975, members of which are Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
READ Trade with India: let's give emulation a chance
On May 11, 2021, a cargo vehicle with Uzbek licence plates safely crossed the Afghan transit route in two days and reached Torkham checkpoint in Peshawar. After the completion of customs clearance, the truck will reach the importer in Faisalabad.
The vehicle transports from Uzbekistan processed leather products (wet blue) for Pakistani leather factories. Furthermore, regular direct delivery of Uzbekistan’s export goods (coal, mineral, fertiliser and textile) to Pakistani cities of Lahore, Karachi, Taxila and Faisalabad has been planned.
Partners of the two companies are planning to increase the number of freight vehicles up to 50 units by the end of the year to ensure a smooth supply of goods through Uzbek trucks.
According to Best Trans Private Limited Chairman Ramiz Rabbani, the entry of the first Uzbek truck into Pakistan is a historical event, since before that in Uzbekistan-Pakistan economic relations the delivery of Uzbek export goods directly to Pakistan through freight transport was not implemented.
He hoped that the expected signing of inter-governmental agreements between Uzbekistan and Pakistan on preferential trade would provide a fresh impetus to the development of bilateral trade.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2021.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.