Aligned with the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) Annual Business Plan (ABP) for the year 2023-24, Pakistani officials, experts, as well as importers and exporters, are poised to take part in a series of 19 promotional trade exhibitions and fairs hosted across various cities in China over this specified duration. These exhibitions promise to encompass an array of themes, ranging from textiles and leather to agro and food sectors. Among the wide variety of attractive products, key exports such as mangoes and meat, which Pakistan is proud of, will receive high attention. But that’s not all-the authority’s ambitious agenda extends beyond exhibitions.  Brace yourself for a whirlwind of export-promoting conferences, engaging webinars, immersive workshops, and dynamic delegations shuttling to and from Pakistan throughout this vibrant period.

As per the plan, the financial year began with the China-Eurasia Expo, Urumqi under the category of International Markets Development Division (IMDD) on August 25, followed by the China-Northeast Asia Expo in Changchun on August 23-27 under the same category. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, under the category of Textile & Leather, is scheduled for August 28-30 in China while All China Leather Exhibition Shanghai under the same category is to take place on August 29-31.  The Seafood and Fisheries Expo, China will take place on September 15-17 under the category of Agro & Food in Guangzhou. Pakistan experts have the opportunity to showcase Agriculture, forestry, food, and beverages.  This will be followed by the China - ASEAN Expo, Nanning on September 16-19 in the category of IMDD.

The China International Import Exhibition will take place on November 5-11 in Shanghai in the category of IMDD and will be followed by China High-Tech Fair Shenzhen on November 15-19 in the category of IT and IT services. Pakistani experts in the fields of tourism, travel, and hospitality in China outbound Tourism and Travel market Expo in Beijing on November 15-17. On November 21-25, the China Yiwu Import Commodities Fair will take place in Yiwu with Pakistani experts to represent their country in the category of IMDD. From March 21-24, Pakistani delegates will take art in APLF, HONGKONG to showcase leader products in the exhibition, and during the same month from March 19 to 21 APLF Fashion Access, Hong Kong will also take place. On March 28-30, the Inter Textile Shanghai Fabric, China is scheduled in Shanghai.

Pakistani team will participate in showcasing apparel and fabrics in the category of textile and leather. The China Canton Fair will take place on April 16, 2024, in Guangzhou in the city. Pakistani team will participate in IMDD as per TDAP’s plan. The Hong Kong Gift and Premium Fair, 2024 will take place April 27-29 in China’s Hong Kong where the Pakistani team will showcase sports goods. The Xiamen Stone Fair, 2024 will be the last activity of FY 2023-24 which will take place in Xiamen and Pakistani experts will showcase marble products under the category of Engineering and mineral. Other than the expos, a delegation from Lahore with expertise in Textile and Food will visit China in May 2024 to collaborate and link the buyers directly with manufacturers and to discuss B2B engagements.

Similarly, under the ‘International Markets Development Division’ a ten-member Chinese delegation is expected to visit Pakistan; another 5-member delegation will visit Pakistan to discuss quarantine regulations regarding meat with Pakistan officials. As per TDAP’s plan, dates for the visit of these delegations will be announced later. In September 2023 a B2B interaction of Pakistani dry fruits and honey exporters with major buyers of China was scheduled to increase the exports of honey and dry fruits to China. In December 2023, a webinar and B2B will conducted regarding exports of rice to China to Increase of exports of Rice to China which is one of the potential markets of rice In June 2024, which will be the last month of the financial year, a B2B/interactive session with the mango buyers of China will be arranged by the Pakistani trade mission in China. The mango exporters of Pakistan and mango importers of China arrange the follow-up of the Mango Promotion Campaign by TDAP 2023-24. It aims to establish trade ties and connections on both sides to improve the market share of Pakistani mango in respective markets.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China