Chinese, Pakistani businesses sign MoUs at FPCCI Lahore meeting

LAHORE: A 30-member Chinese business delegation visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) regional office in Lahore, where it held detailed meetings with Pakistani counterparts aimed at expanding bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation.

Following the discussions, memoranda of understanding were signed between Chinese companies and various chambers of commerce across Punjab to promote mutual cooperation and deepen business ties.

Sector-specific business-to-business meetings were also arranged between Pakistani businessmen and the visiting Chinese delegates to examine investment prospects and possible joint ventures.

Trade and connectivity focus

FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said Gwadar Port serves as a gateway to the world and described Pakistan as a strategic bridge linking China with the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He said Pakistan’s geographical position gives it an important advantage for Chinese industries looking to relocate or expand.

FPCCI Regional Chairman and Vice President Zaki Aijaz, along with United Business Group Patron-in-Chief SM Tanveer, said Pakistan is emerging as a competitive manufacturing base. They said the country’s GSP Plus status enables duty-free exports to the European Union on more than 6,600 tariff lines, while Pakistan also enjoys favourable market access to the United States.

Aijaz said that while direct exports from China may encounter certain trade barriers, Made-in-Pakistan products can enter Western markets at much lower tariff rates under existing trade arrangements and the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.

Agriculture and SEZ opportunities highlighted

Turning to agriculture, Aijaz said Pakistan’s extensive fertile land and Punjab’s position as the country’s food basket present significant opportunities for investment in corporate farming and value-added food processing for exports to China.

He also said investors in Special Economic Zones could avail a 10-year tax holiday. Describing the zones as plug-and-play destinations, he said they had been designed specifically to facilitate Chinese industrial investment.

The visit brought together Chinese and Pakistani business representatives for direct engagement on trade and industrial collaboration, with the signed MoUs and B2B meetings focused on strengthening commercial links between the two sides.

The development comes as business forums on both sides continue to explore ways to increase cooperation in manufacturing, agriculture, exports and investment through institutional linkages and company-level partnerships.