DM Monitoring
BEIJING: Strengthening the economic pillar of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has intensified high-level engagement with China to significantly expand rice exports through enhanced market access, trade facilitation measures and deeper cooperation with Chinese state-owned enterprises.
According to official documents, the Ministry of Commerce has taken up the issue with the Chinese side at the highest diplomatic and technical levels, exploring options under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) to unlock Pakistan’s full rice export potential.
A detailed review meeting held on January 19 assessed progress under both Phase I and Phase II of CPFTA, noting steady growth in Pakistan’s exports to China while identifying substantial untapped opportunities.
To capitalise on this momentum, Pakistan has formally submitted a list of priority export items to Beijing, with rice placed at the top, seeking additional tariff preferences and improved market access. Islamabad has proposed several interim facilitation measures, including a waiver of the existing one percent import duty on Pakistani rice, the introduction of a special import quota similar to the successful 2019–2020 arrangement, and long-term procurement partnerships with major Chinese state-owned enterprises.
A key proposal involves closer collaboration with China Oil and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO), aimed at establishing stable, long-term supply contracts with Pakistani rice exporters. Officials believe such arrangements would not only boost export volumes but also integrate Pakistan’s agricultural sector more firmly into regional supply chains linked to CPEC.
Parallel to engagement with China, Pakistan is also expanding its rice export footprint in Southeast Asia. Islamabad and Manila are currently negotiating a government-to-government memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the annual export of one million tonnes of rice to the Philippines over a five-year period. Pakistan has already shared a draft MoU, to which the Philippine side has responded with a counter-draft.
Both sides are working to finalise and sign the agreement on the sidelines of the second Pakistan–Philippines Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting scheduled for February 19–20.
Officials view the Philippines agreement as complementary to Pakistan’s broader China-focused trade strategy, positioning the country as a reliable rice supplier across Asia.
Economic planners say enhanced rice exports to China and regional markets align with CPEC’s next phase, which emphasises industrial cooperation, agricultural modernisation and export-led growth.
