Pak trade with Africa reached $4.18bn in 2019-20: Dawood

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Sunday said Pakistan’s trade with African countries touched $4.18 billion in 2019-20, which increased by 7 per cent as compared to the previous year (2018-19).

As a result of Pakistan’s new engagement with African countries through the “Look Africa” campaign started by government of Pakistan, despite Covid-19 pandemic, exports to Africa increased by 7 per cent in 2019-20 from $1.38 billion in 2018-19 to $1.48 billion in 2019-20, the adviser told APP. Dawood said total trade with Africa has increased from $3.19 billion in 2016-17 to $4.18 billion in 2019-20.

Replying to a query on the increase in trade with African countries, he said Pakistan’s trade with Africa remained stagnant at $3 billion per year for last few years but because of the government’s trade policies with Africa, now multilateral trade with African region crossed the $4 billion mark.

He added that the main reason of the low trade volume was low level of engagement of Pakistan with Africa. Dawood said traditionally, rice has been the country’s top export to Kenya and other African countries. However, the government is planning to enhance exports of pharmaceuticals, surgical goods and light engineering and electronic products including tractors and agricultural implements, two and three wheelers, commercial and domestic fans, water pumps and electrical machinery and equipment etc, he said. “There is a lot of potential of these products to connect with the untapped African market,” he added.

Replying to a question, he said under the “Look Africa” policy of the Ministry of Commerce, “we are taking different initiatives, including six new commercial sections [which] have been opened in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania, in addition to four existing commercial sections in Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, to cover top ten economies of Africa”.