Syed Naveed Qamar Federal Minister for Commerce Wednesday held a meeting with Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Neil Hawkins, and agreed to enhance bilateral trade volume to its true potential.
The meeting was held here in the Minister’s Chamber in the Parliament House in which Additional Secretary of Commerce Ahsan Ali Mangi and Joint Secretary Dr. Adnan Ahmed were also present.
Syed Naveed Qamar remarked that bilateral trade between Australia and Pakistan had not achieved its potential and Pakistan’s exports to Australia had remained stagnant over the years. The Minister emphasized the tariff differential faced by Pakistani exporters due to Pakistan’s “Developing Country Status” in the Australian System of Tariff Preferences (ASTP) as compared to its competitors.
Qamar also urged collaboration through the Transfer of Technology in developing the food processing, dairy, and cattle industries.
The Australian High Commissioner agreed from the minister’s point of view to enhance bilateral trade, especially in the field of agriculture, textile, and tourism.
Both sides also discussed the possibility of preferential market access under formal arrangements like PTA/FTA with Pakistan.
