Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan is seeking to expand exports of value-added guar gum to China and is actively looking for Chinese joint-venture partners, as local producers move to tap into one of the world’s largest consumer markets for this natural industrial ingredient, a leading manufacturer has said.

“Guar gum is Pakistan’s specialty and a major opportunity for revenue generation, and our objective is to position it as a premium, value-added product for global markets, especially China,” Mumtazuddin, General Manager of Operations at Viscolloids Industries (Pvt) Ltd, said.

Referring to the recently concluded Pakistan-China Agri Investment Conference (2026), Mumtaz said his talks with Chinese counterparts were encouraging, reflecting the longstanding bilateral relationship and expanding cooperation in agriculture and industry.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said Pakistan and India are the only two countries in the world that produce guar gum commercially, giving Islamabad a strategic advantage in global supply chains.

Pakistan accounts for around 30% of global production, while India produces the remaining 70%.

Guar gum, derived from guar beans, is a natural thickening and stabilizing agent used across food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, oil and gas exploration, mining and cementing. China is the second-largest consumer of guar gum globally after the United States, importing an estimated 400,000 tonnes annually for a wide range of applications, he said.

While Pakistan already exports guar gum to international markets, Mumtaz said most shipments are still sent abroad as raw material, allowing overseas processors to capture much of the value. “Countries buy guar from us cheaply, add value, and sell it back to global markets at much higher prices,” he said. “Our goal is to change that model.”

To support this shift, his company has invested heavily in what he described as Pakistan’s only fully food-grade guar gum processing vertical facility, built using SS316L stainless steel, a standard required for high-purity food and pharmaceutical production. The plant enables the production of premium guar gum powder suitable for direct use in food, cosmetics and health-related applications, he said.

“This kind of investment allows us to compete directly with European producers,” Mumtaz said, adding that the company is already exporting to Europe and North Africa, and is now working to expand into China and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENAT) region.

“China is the second-largest economy in the world and a role model in industrial growth, and joint ventures with Chinese companies can help Pakistan bring progression and value addition for expanding exports,” he said.

Pakistan’s guar gum is recognized internationally for its quality, he said, noting that his company supplies multinational firms, including Nestle, Unilever, Shezan International and Procter & Gamble, after meeting strict international audit and quality standards.

Expanding value-added guar gum exports could help Pakistan diversify its export base, reduce reliance on raw commodity sales and strengthen agri-industrial cooperation with China, especially as global demand rises for natural and clean-label ingredients.

“With China using guar gum across food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and energy exploration, the scope for deeper trade and joint investment is significant,” Mumtaz observed.

Credit: INP-WealthPk