'Made in Pakistan' expo in progress

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The 'Made in Pakistan' - single country exhibition in Colombo in partnership with the High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka was commenced yesterday at the BMICH. The six day exhibition will ends on 1 May.

Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka within the South Asian region. The level of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Sri Lanka increased a result of the FTA. Trade between the two countries increased from US $ 255 million to over US $ 390 million during the last four years with the positive support gained from the FTA, High Commissioner of Pakistan Seema Ilahi Baloch said.

One of the primary aims of organizing the Made in Pakistan single country exhibition was to introduce the diverse goods and commodities being produced in Pakistan to the Sri Lankan consumers. The exhibition will provide an opportunity to explore the Pakistani market here in Sri Lanka, she said.

Bilateral trade between the two countries strengthened through an increase in the number of products imported from and exported to Sri Lanka such as fish, meat, vegetable, foliage, plant, sugar, biscuits, pastry, cakes, mineral products, fiber boards, leather and leather based products, footwear, gems, jewellery, value added copper products, electric items, bicycles, boats and floating structures, she said.

There was a greater demand for Pakistani produces such as cotton yarn, fabrics, potatoes, pharmaceutical products, knitted or crocheted fabrics, articles of iron and steel, galvanized pipes, rice, fish, seafood, textile articles, articles of apparel and clothing accessories, and rods of refined copper.

Sri Lanka was the first country to sign a FTA with Pakistan. It is operational since 2005 and under the FTA, both countries have agreed to offer preferential market access to each other's exports by way of gaining tariff concessions. Sri Lanka enjoys duty free access on 206 products in the Pakistani market, while Pakistan gained duty free access on 102 products in the Sri Lankan market.