Pakistan and Taiwan are trade partners but due to various non-tariff barriers and obstacles the bilateral trade between both the countries is not reflecting the true picture of their trade potential.
Presently the volume of bilateral trade is far below the respective potential of both the countries.
President FPCCI and ECO CCI Zakaria Usman stated this in a meeting with a four-member delegation of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) who visited FPCCI to meet the office-bearers.
The meeting was also attended by Shaukat Ahmed, senior vice president, Mazhar Nasir, Ismail Suttar, Khurram Sayeed, Naima Ansari, vice presidents of FPCCI, Begum Salma Ahmed and prominent industrialists and businessmen.
While discussing various obstacles in the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Taiwan, Zakaria Usman said that Taiwan should establish its trade facilitation centre in Karachi. He further said that people-to-people contact was necessary to strengthen the bilateral trade and economic relations. This trade facilitation centre would not only facilitate the Pakistani business community but it would be equally beneficial for Taiwanese businessmen as well. He further said that Pakistani businessmen were facing great problem in getting visa. They had to apply for visa in Taiwanese trade office in Iran which was a long and lengthy procedure which could be simplified through electronic visas via trade facilitation centre in Karachi, if established.
The FPCCI president further said that Pakistan was a great consumer market and also a gateway to the central Asian market. The Taiwanese could penetrate this market through their investments and joint ventures in various sectors preferably in energy, mining, oil exploration, cotton, manmade staple fibers, copper, beverages, spirits and vinegar, plastic products, raw hides and skins. He stressed the need to enhance exchange of trade delegations, holding and participating in exhibitions and removal of various NTBs and obstacles. The Taiwanese trade facilitation office in Karachi would be a great source for enhancement of Pakistan’s export in Taiwan, he said. He urged the government to make sincere efforts in this path to enable TIATRA to open their trade facilitation centre in Karachi in a short span of time which was indeed a need of the hour.
Peter J Huang, President and CEO of TAITRA, said that Pakistan had a great potential of trade but comparatively its export was very small, however, it could be increased at par to its potential. He stated that the main objective of the visit of TAITRA delegation was to invite the FPCCI delegation to Taiwan and to draw their attention towards all obstacles in bilateral trade between Pakistan and Taiwan. He said during the visit of FPCCI delegation, TAITRA planned to organise Pakistan trade and investment seminar in Taiwan. He further said the Taiwanese businessmen also faced visa problems and FPCCI and TAITRA should sit jointly and resolve the issues and raise voice for the removal of obstacles and NTBs from the path of development of trade.
