ISLAMABAD: Members of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and relevant Pakistani officials in China and Pakistan held a brainstorming session online to discuss how to secure a due share in the over $2 trillion import market of China.
The conference had particular significance in the backdrop of the updated China-Pakistan FTA. CPFTA-II, effective since Jan 1, 2020, is showing results now, said Badar Zamar, Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Officer (TIO) in Beijing. He said that Pakistan’s exports to China shot up by 64% during Jan-March 2021.
The participants stressed the need of robust efforts to take full benefits of the concessions granted by the Iron Brother to Pakistani traders under the CPFTA-II.
However, the government officials told the traders that value-addition, certification, and branding were all a must for penetrating the Chinese market. The Chinese authorities also offer generous help by training Pakistani traders and workforce to meet the required standards, they said. They also told the traders to appoint local agents for effective marketing and ensure active presence in trade exhibitions held in China. Pakistani traders asked the officials to organise sector-specific webinars with their Chinese fellows for them.
On the occasion, President RCCI Nasir Mirza said that the CPFTA-II had opened up the door for Pakistani traders to the Chinese market. He said that the RCCI members were interested in exports of gems and precious minerals to China. –Agencies
