Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Commerce, said that Pakistan is close to signing mutual trade agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He said this in his speech at an event on promoting business in Central Asia.
The Federal Minister said that Pakistan wants to increase trade with Central Asia, adding that the country is integrating technology to improve trade.
In 2019, Pakistan’s exports to Kazakhstan were $83.5 million while the imports from Kazakhstan were only $0.8 million, resulting in a trade surplus of roughly $82.6 million, according to the Pakistan Business Council (PBC).
Pakistan’s exports to Kazakhstan were $193.1 million in 2021, and Pakistan’s exports to Uzbekistan were $48.79 during the same year, according to tradingeconomics.com.
The commerce minister said that the government is making efforts to promote trade in the region and requested the countries in the region to take steps to benefit from the current situation.
Moreover, the minister said that a trade bloc could be established in Central Asia and South Asia and that the Central Asian states could use Karachi and Gwadar ports.
The commerce minister said that due to the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan can not currently develop trade with the country.
