KARACHI: Secretary Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Sheryar Taj has announced initiatives to boost exports through agricultural value addition, digital trade facilitation, preferential market access and stronger public-private partnerships, stressing that Pakistan must move beyond raw commodity exports to maximise its trade potential.
Speaking during a meeting of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), he highlighted TDAP’s Preferential Trade Access Database (PTAD), which consolidates 29 trade arrangements covering 93 countries, enabling exporters to identify available tariff concessions by entering a product’s HS code. He said TDAP will also organise training sessions at KCCI to help members utilise the platform.
Secretary TDAP further said the digitisation of Certificates of Origin had enabled TDAP to issue around 40,000 certificates in its first full year, benefiting approximately 12,000 exporters, saving Rs10 million in annual form-related costs and generating around Rs80 million in revenue.
Taj announced that the fourth FoodAg Manufacturing exhibition would be held in Karachi from November 23–26, featuring around 360 companies across 15 sectors.
TDAP also plans agricultural and horticultural value-addition exhibitions in Lahore in March and Quetta in collaboration with provincial governments.
Highlighting women’s entrepreneurship, he said WEXNET would expand to Quetta following events in Peshawar, Sialkot and Sukkur.
TDAP had received 160 applications within two weeks and sought KCCI’s support in nominating experienced businesswomen to mentor entrepreneurs in Balochistan.
He also announced TEXPO for April 2–4 at Karachi Expo Centre and a Made in Pakistan exhibition in Dhaka from April 28–30, 2027.
TDAP would subsidise 80 percent of stall costs for the Bangladesh exhibition and provide qualifying women entrepreneurs with 50 percent airfare support and a daily allowance.
Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala called for an urgent review of Pakistan’s Free Trade Agreement with China, noting that exports to China had increased only marginally while imports had risen substantially.
He urged both countries to identify exportable products and address market-access barriers to achieve a genuine win-win trade relationship.
Motiwala also called for a comprehensive blue economy roadmap, asserting that fisheries, aquaculture and maritime industries could generate up to USD10 billion within two years.
He stressed the need to modernise fishing vessels, develop hatcheries and expand marine-sector investment.
Emphasising agricultural value addition, he said Pakistan could not substantially increase exports by relying on raw commodities alone, given limited exportable surpluses.
He urged TDAP to bring international food processors and manufacturers to Pakistan to develop value-added products from rice, pulses and other agricultural commodities, generating higher export earnings and employment.
Praising TDAP’s performance under Sheryar Taj, he highlighted its Pakistan Portal, which allows exporters to showcase products free of charge, and its network connecting businesses with Pakistani commercial counsellors abroad. He stressed that TDAP could deliver greater results with sustained government support and stronger private-sector engagement.
President KCCI Talat Mahmood assured TDAP of the Chamber’s full cooperation, announcing that the TDAP Help Desk at KCCI was expected to become operational within three to four days. He said the KCCI would circulate details of its services to members and urged timely implementation of proposals submitted by the business community.
Mahmood also pledged to nominate two women entrepreneurs for TDAP’s Quetta initiative, support participation in the Made in Pakistan exhibition in Bangladesh and ensure strong KCCI representation at FoodAg.
He further sought Sheryar Taj’s intervention to help recover approximately USD1 million in outstanding export proceeds relating to a rice shipment to the Government of Oman, which had reportedly remained unpaid for around 18 months despite previous efforts to resolve the matter.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026