Gwadar, 21 March 2022 (TDI): On Friday, the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and The Pak-Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACII) reached an agreement to use the Gwadar port for Afghan transit trades.
A meeting was held at the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) office consisting of a delegation of PACCI and the Karachi business community, along with GCCI president Nagman Abdul and the former president of the chamber Naveed Kalmati. The former Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Junaid Makda was also present.
#PAJCCI stakeholders meeting in Gwadar. Visited border, Customs Gawadar Chamber, Port and met GDA@ImranKhanPTI @YusufMoeed @AmbassadorSadiq @AsadQaiserPTI @PakPMO @ShahzadArbab1 pic.twitter.com/XzIXCQ6CNE
— PAJCCI (@PAJCCI) March 17, 2022
The meeting agreed to take measures to boost bilateral trade and also allow PACCI importers and exporters from Afghanistan and Pakistan to use the Gwadar Port for transit trade in the coming days.
Steps in this area will be taken so that the Gwadar Port can function as a trade and economic hub between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The steady progress of CPEC has ensured that Gwadar will become a financial hub for Pakistan in the future.
In April 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan allowed imports of food items through Gwadar for transit to Afghanistan to ensure a steady food supply.
Gwadar offers Pakistan a very strategic location for trade with an approximately 600-kilometer coastline. The seaport allows direct access to China and the Indian ocean and opens up Pakistan as a significant trading hub for the majority of the Central Asian Countries.
Pakistan has signed a transit trade agreement with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, which allowed for there to be substantial growth in trade between the three countries. With this agreement, Pakistan gained access to a $90 billion market in Central Asia.
We are pleased to share that the first shipment of 18 MT of Halal meat from 🇵🇰 has been dispatched from Karachi to Tashkent 🇺🇿 (Uzbekistan). It would reach Tashkent within a week.
MOC’s Silk Route Reconnect policy for Central Asia Republics (CARs) & beyond is now bearing 1/2— Abdul Razak Dawood (@razak_dawood) March 10, 2022
Earlier Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan for Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood shared information about the first shipment of 18 MT of Halal meat has been dispatched from Karachi to Tashkent (Uzbekistan). The shipment has reached Tashkent within a week. Ministry of Commerce’s Silk Route Reconnect policy for Central Asia Republics (CARs) & beyond is now bearing fruit.
Adviser has further added that for the last year and half, we been extensively engaged with CARs. PTA and Transit Trade Agreement have been signed with Uzbekistan. Similar agreements are being explored with other CARs. Abdul Razak has also urged the exporters to utilize this new window opportunity, .
Gwadar Port
The Gwadar Port is situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Baluchistan, Pakistan. It is one of the most essential deep seaports for the country. It can act as an international trading hub for Pakistan if developed correctly. China is currently financing the port’s development through the Pakistan China Economic Corridor (CPEC).
