Pakistan seeks furniture export boost with industry training in Peshawar

KARACHI: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) held a seminar in Peshawar aimed at strengthening export readiness in the country’s wood and furniture sector, as part of a broader push to enhance value-added exports from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The event, titled ‘Wood Identification, Quality Assessment and Export Procedure’, was organised by TDAP’s E&M-Division-II in collaboration with the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), and drew strong participation from local business leaders in the furniture trade.

Speakers from the SCCI and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Furniture Association highlighted persistent challenges faced by the industry -- including weak institutional support, poor export infrastructure, and lack of training -- as key barriers to scaling Pakistan’s furniture exports.

The technical session featured detailed presentations on wood quality and classification by Dr Zahid Rauf and Dr Tanveer Hussain from the Pakistan Forest Institute. TDAP officials, including Director Nadia Farooqui and Deputy Director Zahid Mohammad, presented export procedures and trade facilitation tools tailored for the furniture industry.

Industry representatives also flagged structural bottlenecks such as the inactive status of the Pakistan Furniture Institute in Hayatabad and the lack of progress on a proposed dedicated Furniture City. The SCCI president urged TDAP to launch further capacity-building initiatives focused on digital marketing and e-commerce to help firms tap into global markets.