KARACHI: Pakistan has
secured new export orders worth millions of dollars from different countries in
the ongoing Expo Pakistan 2017, according to leading fruits and vegetables
exporters.“Our members have received a very good response, especially from
Indonesia, and we are confident about getting more orders worth millions of
dollars,” Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant
Association (PFVA) former chairman Waheed Ahmed said.Since the exhibition will continue for two more days, exporters say
they are unable to compile the exact amount of new orders at this moment.
Foreign delegates show
interest in Pakistani exports at TDAP exhibition.The four-day exhibition (November 9-12) will
conclude on Sunday and it is being held at the Karachi Expo Centre.Exporters
say Indonesia can become a big market of Pakistani fruits, especially kinnow
(mandarin). Pakistan’s major exports to Indonesia include textiles and
clothing, vegetables and fruits (mainly oranges) while its major import item
from Indonesia is palm oil.
Indonesia offers zero-rated market access to kinnow and oranges from Pakistan,
providing a level playing field to this product in the Indonesian market.
However, Pakistani exporters face tough competition in Indonesia as regional
countries also export fruits to Indonesia on low duties due to the agreements
among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trading bloc.
Indonesia imports over $650 million worth of fruits and $550 million
worth of vegetables annually. Now that Pakistan is regaining its share in
Indonesia’s fruit imports, its exporters want to export more vegetables as
well.Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Pakistan is expected to reach $2.5
billion this year, according to Indonesian estimates. However, the trade
balance is in favour of Indonesia as it exports over $2 billion of goods to
Pakistan.The exhibition has attracted trade delegations from different
countries such as Russia, the UK, Thailand, Tunisia, Australia, Vietnam, The
Netherlands, Jordan, Argentina, Italy, Kenya, Belgium, Japan, Turkey, Sweden
and Lithuania.
Focus on Africa
Due to low exports to African countries, the Ministry of Commerce has decided
to give 2% duty drawbacks on exporters who export to Africa, Federal Secretary
for Commerce Mohammad Younus Dagha said on Friday.“We have decided to increase
our exports to Africa due to current low trade base with African countries,”
said Dagha while speaking at an interactive session on ‘Look Africa Trade
Forum’.
Belgian trade mission to
visit Pakistan in 2018,The
seminar was held at the sidelines of the exhibition by the Trade Development
Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). The gathering was attended by consul generals and
other dignitaries from many African countries.Meanwhile, Federal Minister of
Commerce Mohammad Pervaiz Malik has commented that Pakistan is looking to
double its bilateral trade with African countries to $6 billion from $3 billion
in the next five years.
Source: Business Recorder, Pakistan Tuesday, 14 November 2017