Businesses urged to expand exports to Malawi

Malawi’s Honorary Consul General urges Karachi to diversify exports with high-demand non-traditional items.

KARACHI:

The Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Malawi, Abdullah Zaki, has urged Karachi's business community to diversify their exports to Malawi by focusing on non-traditional items in high demand. This strategy, he urged, could significantly improve the currently low trade volume between the two countries and create a favourable trade balance for Pakistan.

During a meeting at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Zaki noted that while Malawi's market is dominated by Bangladesh and India, who supply both traditional and non-traditional goods, Pakistan's exports are largely limited to fabrics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. He highlighted the need to explore the export potential of non-traditional items to tap into Malawi's market effectively.

Although the current trade balance favours Malawi, with the overall trade volume at just $8.9 million, Zaki expressed optimism that this figure could be substantially increased through collective efforts and stronger interaction between the business communities of both nations.

He added that Malawi, with its population of 25 million and status as an import-based economy, offers considerable opportunities for Pakistani products. Zaki also mentioned that a Malawian trade delegation is expected to visit Pakistan in January next year, while the KCCI could send its delegation to Malawi in April, with full support from the Honorary Consulate of Malawi.