Sunday, July 5, 2009

South African Trade Team To Visit Pakistan

A high level mission from South Africa will visit Pakistan by the end of current month to interact with the Pakistani exporters, the Daily Times learnt on Saturday.

The buying mission of South African will be comprised of top importers and decision markers dealing in different major products. This mission will visit export-houses in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot to consider the business deals with the their local counterparts.

South African market – with foreign exchange reserves of $33.59 billion and total import volume $87.3 billion in year 2008 - offers tremendous opportunities for Pakistani export sector.

Keeping in view the vastness of South African market and huge import volume, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) had invited the business community of that country to visit Pakistan. The top importers and decisions making authorities related to business sector have planned to visit country during July 20-24. Apart from meeting with the higher government functionaries, delegation will meet the exporters of food and related goods (rice, confectionary, biscuits, candies, fruit juices, ready to eat food, convenience food, snacks, pies etc), textile and clothing and home textile exporters.

The meeting is also scheduled with the sports goods, pharmaceuticals, building materials and related items, leather upholstery, footwear, polysterfibers and yarn.

Exporters said that products like surgical equipments, textile products, rice, spices and sports goods have good market in South Africa because South Africa is the main shopping centre of seven neighboring countries.

South Africa’s main exports to Pakistan include synthetic staple fibre, hot rolled & flat rolled steel products, stainless steel, iron, chemicals, newsprint and uncoated craft paper, pig iron, ferro-alloys, scrap metal and preservatives. Pakistan’s main exports to South Africa include woollen fabrics, synthetic staple fibres and cotton, leather goods, bed and table linen, footwear, cotton yarn and fish.

Officials said that visit of South Africa, buying mission signifies greatly in the current situation when buying houses in its traditional USA and EU markets are reluctant to visit Pakistan due to bad security situation. “It will send a positive signal to the entire world that circumstances are no so worse as is being portrayed about the country in the world”, officials said.

Source: Daily Times, Lahore

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