Daily Times

The news was announced by Ghulam Qadir, the Commercial Counsellor at Pakistan’s Embassy in Beijing, China.

Qadir highlighted that the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China reported a 53% year-on-year increase in bilateral trade in agriculture products, with China importing more than 1.19 million tons of different types of rice from Pakistan.

He credited the facilitation from both governments and the hard work of businessmen for the successful trade, adding that with the opening up of China, the exports are expected to grow even further.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, in 2022, China imported semi or wholly milled rice, broken rice, and other rice varieties from Pakistan, which amounted to USD 211.88 million, USD 162.78 million, and USD 80.74 million, respectively.

Qadir expressed that the Chinese government has been supportive of Pakistan by establishing offline and online pavilions, and Pakistani rice has already hit the e-commerce platform in China, with sales expected to grow further. He also noted that they are working with the General Administration of Customs to ensure more Pakistani rice enterprises register and increase exports even further.

The Commercial Counsellor shared that Pakistani rice has gained popularity in the Chinese market due to its finest taste and quality, and the total number of Pakistani enterprises registered with the General Administration of Customs has increased to 62.

The growth in trade and registration of enterprises signify a positive trend for the bilateral relations between Pakistan and China, as they continue to strengthen their economic ties.