Pakistan's exports picking up despite pandemic

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan’s exports have started picking up recently despite economic slum all over the world because of COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan's manufacturing sector has started getting millions of dollars export orders despite the pandemic scenario. 

The government’s ‘Make in Pakistan’ policy and work towards rapid industrialization aimed at enhancing exports and substituting imports have started paying dividends. 

A Pakistani company recently succeeded in procuring an order of sportswear from a famous brand while an electronic company also started exporting microwave ovens to Bangladesh.

This is the first-ever export of microwave ovens and it could be a new beginning for Pakistan engineering exports, particularly home appliances. 

In another development a cement company, after exporting its product to China, has now started exporting it to the Philippines. 

Pakistan, after getting the 100 million dollars face mask order from US, Canada and Europe, has now also allowed the export of PPEs & hand sanitizers thus opening door for the exporters to capture a good share of world market. 

Pakistan is making these developments despite COVID-19 crisis, being the manufacturer of small instruments in the past. It is now focusing more on bigger instruments and devices for export purposes consequently reducing the import burden.

“The exports of Pakistan are showing clear signs of recovery, due to the efforts of the exporters to diversify the products, in the wake of new opportunities arising amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, observed while chairing a meeting to discuss the export strategy of Pakistan. 

“We are fully prepared to exploit the economic and trade opportunities expected in the wake of the post-COVID-19 pandemic to increase local production for promoting Pakistan made products in global potential markets,” he added.

In a tweet the advisor said that export remittances from IT and ITES sector have picked up, showing a growth of 21% and fetching over a billion dollars in foreign exchange, in just 11 months of FY2019-20.