LAHORE:Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Officer Mian Kashif Ashfaq has termed the signing of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) protocols between Pakistan and China a positive development that could help Pakistani exporters gain improved access to the Chinese market.
Chairing a meeting of the PFC Board of Directors here on Sunday, he said initiatives such as the proposed ‘green channel’ at the Khunjerab bordercrossing would significantly improve trade facilitation and reduce logistical bottlenecks.
He added that Pakistan’s efforts to encourage long-term procurement arrangements between Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and Pakistani exporters could provide greater stability, predictability and stronger integration into regional supply chains.
He stressed that Pakistan should further strengthen its trade ties with China through a clear and comprehensive strategy.He said that policymakers must recognise that preferential market access alone is not sufficient, as improving productivity, upgrading industrial capacity and enhancing export competitiveness are equally important for sustainable economic growth.
He observed that if the newly-signed protocols are implemented effectively, deeper Sino-Pak economic cooperation could boost exports, reduce trade imbalances and create fresh industrial and investment opportunities.
However, he noted that the key challenge would be to complement these opportunities with domestic reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and enabling businesses to fully use enhanced access to the Chinese market.
Referring to the prevailing global situation, particularly the crisis in the Middle East, he underlined the urgent need to explore new avenues for export growth, industrial cooperation and long-term economic stability.
The CEO said China has emerged over the past decade as Pakistan’s largest trading partner, a major source of infrastructure investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and an important provider of balance-of-payments support.He added that the prime minister’s recent visit to China reflected Pakistan’s intention to take bilateral relations into a more productive and trade-oriented phase.
