Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood on Saturday informed that Pakistani companies had received trade orders worth $2 million, and deals of $ 3 million were under process in the International Trade Fair held in Khartoum (Sudan).
“I congratulated Universal Motors which received an order for 280 motorcycles,” the advisor said on his official Twitter account.
He said the agro-machinery, pharmaceutical, glass, and fruit sectors received very good responses in the trade fairs.
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“I am glad to share that as a part of the Ministry of Commerce’s Look Africa Policy initiative launched in 2017, Pakistan has successfully participated in the International Trade Fair at Khartoum (Sudan) was held from January 21-28 2021,” Razak Dawood said.
He said that local companies participated in the exhibition despite difficulties created by COVID. Although numbers were small, the products and direction was right, he added.
“I congratulate our exporters and encourage them to aggressively market exports in Africa to get an increased share of the market,” he said.
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Exports to Africa
As a result of Pakistan’s new engagement with African countries through the “Look Africa Campaign” started by the government of Pakistan, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, exports to Africa increased by seven percent in 2019-20 from the US $ 1.38 billion in 2018-19 to the US $ 1.48 billion in 2019-20, the Advisor told APP.
The Advisor said total trade with Africa has increased from the US $ 3.19 billion in 2016-17 to the US $ 4.18 billion in 2019-20.
Replying to a query on the surge in trade with African countries, he said Pakistan’s trade with Africa remained stagnant at the US $ three billion per year for the last few years but because of the government’s trade policies with Africa, now multilateral trade with the African region crossed the mark of US $ four billion.
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He added that the main reason for the low trade volume was a low level of engagement of Pakistan with Africa.
Razak Dawood said traditionally, rice has been our top export to Kenya and other African countries.
However, “we are planning to enhance exports of pharmaceuticals, surgical goods, and light engineering and electronic products including tractors and agricultural implements, two and three-wheelers, commercial and domestic fans, water pumps and electrical machinery and equipment, etc”.
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Courtesy: APP