Australia is a potential market for exports and Pakistani exporters could penetrate Australian markets by bringing diversification in their export products.

This was said by Mr.Azam Mohammed, Pakistan Consul General in Sydney, Australia while exchanging views with Mr.Zahid Maqbool, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry during a visit to ICCI.

He said Pakistan’s exports to Australia are confined to few items like textiles products (bed linen & towel), followed by rice, sport goods, surgical instruments, furniture and foot wear due to which share of Pakistan in Australia’s total imports is negligible.

He said there is a dire need to focus on exporting non-traditional and diversified products to Australia for achieving better results. He said Australia has now reduced import duty on Pakistani textile products from 17.5% to 10% and for some items even to 5%. It provides Pakistani exporters an  additional incentive to step up efforts for promoting exports to Australia.

He said one viable option to get better attention of Australian importers is to hold single country exhibitions of Pakistani products in Australia. He said Pakistani exporters should come well prepared to Australia along with products catalogues and samples.

He said that Consulate General of Pakistan in Sydney has established an updated website to provide valuable information to exporters and assured that it would continue to provide maximum facilitation services to Pakistani businessmen.

Speaking on the occasion,Mr. Zahid Maqbool, President, ICCI said that Pakistani embassies in foreign countries should establish Export Advisory Cells in their Commercial Sections to guide Pakistani exporters about potential export markets for Pakistani products.

He said Export Advisory Cells should conduct market studies of their respective areas and share this information with country’s Chambers so that our exporters could make plans to take advantage of potential export opportunities.

He also urged the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to provide comprehensive training to exporters about cutting edge marketing strategies, presentation & communication skills and culture of target markets so that they could try to enter such markets with full preparations and achieve optimum results.

He said that our exporters have to face many problems while participating in foreign exhibitions, especially due to non-availability of IT services and stressed that Pakistani embassies should provide all required facilities in Pakistan pavilion of exhibitions like telephone, fax, email etc. to facilitate the exporters.