Pakistan hopes $1 billion export to China by end of this year

BEIJING, May 6 (APP): Pakistan's export to China registered 38 percent growth in the first quarter of this year, according to the Chinese Customs Authorities.

The country's export between January and March 2006 was amounted to US $216 million. It was $156 million in the corresponding period last year. Hence, the increase in Pakistan's exports to China in a period of three months was about $60 million.

The sources told APP in Beijing Saturday that there was a considerable jump in the export items like cotton yarn, cotton fabric, leather, PTA and seafood. The Chinese side calculates the export figures on the basis of the origin of the exported items, including those coming to the mainland through Hong Kong and the Chinese financial calendar is from January to December.

When asked to comment on the future prospects of Pakistan's trade with China, Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan Embassy Shahid Mahmood said, " We are confident that the strong growth that we had in our exports to China last year would continue not only this year but in the future as well. Pakistan's export to China is likely to cross the $ One billion mark by the end of this year." The customs authorities had reported $ 832 million Pakistan's exports to China during the year 2005.

Overall jump in the exports to China this year is likely to be over $ 300 million, he said adding, there is a great potential for enhancing the exports, particularly of valued-added textile products including cotton fabric, home textiles and towels.

Chinese growing market also provides wide opportunities to Pakistani traders to enhance their export in non-traditional items like sports and engineering goods, handicrafts, marble, onyx, jewelry and agro-based products.

Pakistan's export has bright prospects to get further boost, with the reduction of tariff on a number of trading items under the Early Harvest Programme (EHP) that came into effect from January, 2006. Shahid Mahmood hoped that the trade volume will increase in the coming months, when the list of export's items to China will also include sports goods, surgical instruments, rice, mango and some other agro-based products.

An official of the Chinese Commerce Ministry suggested that maximum number of Pakistani businessmen should visit China to explore new openings in the trade sector. Major exporters need to set up here their representative offices to introduce their products and find prospective buyers, he added.

The Chinese companies, he added enjoy official support at the government level to enhance economic interaction with their Pakistani counterparts. " We welcome the Pakistani side to display their products at the annual trade fairs, used to take place in Chinese major cities," he added.


http://www.app.com.pk/n16.htm

Considering our relationship with China our trade volume is mererly nothing, countrys like Veitnam and Thailand have much bigger trade volumes and they dont have the Sino-Pak freindship.

We should start looking into as many oppourtunitys as posisble with China. I hope we can reach $5 billion in the next few years because kazakastan and Central Asia are alot is well.

Well hopefully in coming years it will increase because of Gwadar port and better Road link as well as rail links to China.

Absolutely right, more is needed to increase trade.

even indo china trade is more than that

in 2005 our export were +- 9 billions & our export to china 0.832 billions, it's +-1/10 th of our export to china i think that's quite good

Our past govts. were sleeping over the issue of export to China .. imagine we got Kinoos accepted by China just 3 years back !

Jeez .. we were really living on zakat from other countries .. it is only this GOP which has really taken up the task of increasing educated manpower & export !

Reduction of tariff on a number of trading items under the Early Harvest Programme (EHP) will increase in the trade volume specially rice, mango, kinoo and some other agro-based products, in engineering goods they are way cheaper. So agro-based products should be given preference and govt. should work in that directions.