Sialkot exports to Iron Brother China should be multiplied: Webinar

Sialkot: Pakistani exports from the Sialkot district should be multiplied to Iron Brother China, a webinar concluded.
The webinar titled ‘Branding Pakistan: Complementarity through development of Innovative Export market of Sialkot’ was held under Online Innovation Summit Sialkot 2021, a statement issued on Saturday said.

The importance of utilizing existing platforms to boost Sialkot exports was stressed by Peter Huang, Partner of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Business Platform.

Speakers stressed the significance of cooperation between Sialkot and Chinese industry. They also put forward recommendations including making full use of the existing platform, establishing joint ventures, strengthening the collaboration of chambers of commerce, developing e-commerce, and increasing the scale of visits and exchanges.

Peter Huang said the Pakistani Embassy and Consulates in China had given full play to its various functions and plays an important role in promoting bilateral trade cooperation.

“Chinese entrepreneurs prefer to seek partners recommended by government agencies, and if government agencies get enough brand information, embassy or consulates will more easily recommend products to interested Chinese buyers or investors,” he said.

Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute of Pakistan, stressed that Sialkot’s engagement in CPEC can be deepened.

“Chinese delegations were not brought to Sialkot in large numbers, which hindered the growth of business-to-business partnerships. The business community sincerely hopes that when negotiating free trade agreements with China, they can get more consultation so that their products with competitive advantages can also enter China,” he added.

Hassan Daud Butt, Chief Executive Officer Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BOIT) said on the occasion that Sialkot had done tremendously well as an economic growth sample, however, some small gaps still need to be bridged.

He requested Chinese entrepreneurs to consider the possibility of establishing joint ventures with Sialkot’s industry, which has a wonderful setting and understanding of how to make the best of the environment.

Appreciating the contribution made by Chamber of Commerce in promoting economic development, Hassan Daud Butt proposed chambers between China and Sialkot to directly establish a mechanism, through which the process can move forward faster.

“IT skills should be added to enter a new era of artificial intelligence. Computers and the internet will directly link some cottage industries to markets in China and elsewhere,” Butt added.

Sialkot is internationally known for producing world class sports equipment.