US seeks business connections

LAHORE: US Commercial Counsellor John Coronado on Friday said there was strong potential for increasing up bilateral trade between Pakistan and the US through business to business matchmaking.

He expressed these views while talking to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA leadership during his visit to the association office. He said there was huge potential of mutual economic cooperation between the business communities of both the countries in the fields of textile in particular and other areas like agriculture, energy and information technology etc in general.

He urged APTMA members to explore the avenues to enhance bilateral trade and offered full assistance and cooperation of the US Embassy in exploring potential partners and harnessing opportunities in the shortest possible time

In response to a query regarding inordinate delays in issuance of US Visas, he informed that visa facility was presently restricted to the humanitarian, education and medical needs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier, APTMA Chairman Adil Bashir gave a detailed presentation on the textile sector of Pakistan. “Pakistan has set an ambitious export target of $39 billion for the current year as against the actual exports of $25.30 billion during 2020-21,” he said, adding that the target for export of textiles was aimed at $20-21 for the year, which was about 30 percent higher than textile exports of the preceding year.