Private Sector to play key role in forging robust Pak-US trade ties: Syed Naveed Qamar
WASHINGTON, 25 (SABAH): Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar on Saturday met leadership of American Apparel and Footwear Association and representatives of Pak leading businesses here at Embassy of Pakistan.
The delegation included Stephen Lamar, President & CEO American Apparel & Footwear Association, Nate Harmen, Senior Vice President (Policy), Beth Hughes, Vice President (Trade & Customs Policy), Ms. Hun Quach, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Levi Strauss & Co. and Greg Snipes, CFO & COO, Royce Too LLC. Other participants included Shelley Rider (Interloop), Steve Pianowski (Nishat Chunian), Irfan Hassan (Al-Karam), Ahmed Fraz (Gul Ahmed), Mubasher Butt (Prgmea), Muneeb Tariq (PHMA) and Kamran Arshad (APTMA).
Secretary Commerce Muhammad Sualeh Ahmed Faruqi briefed the participants about various steps being taken to facilitate business community and address their issues.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan also joined the meeting.
The meeting discussed in detail matters relating to bilateral trade in cotton and textiles with a special focus on strengthening of Pak-US trade relations, institutionalization of mutual linkages, standardization, traceability and visibility of products and facilitation of the business community.
Addressing the participants, Commerce Minister said that Pakistan was keen to strengthen its economic ties with the United States. He said that the private sector and the business community had a key role in realizing the vision of enhanced trade ties between the two countries. The Minister said that Government was committed not only to provide every possible facilitation to the business community but also to put in place policies that could fulfil the requirements of business community and the global market.
The Minister said that private sector should come up with innovative ideas and solutions to overcome existing challenges and secure greater market penetration. He said that diversification of the products while ensuring quality, affordability and competitiveness would help getting better market share to Pakistani products.
The meeting was informed that the Government is setting up National Compliance Centre to address issues of compliance of Pakistani products to the international standards. The Centre would be operational by 30 June 2023. The Minister also encouraged US entrepreneurs to actively participate in TEXPO exhibition to be held during end of May this year.
It is worth mentioning here that Syed Naveed Qamar led the Pakistani delegation comprising Secretary Commerce Muhammad Sualeh Farruqui, Secretary BOI Asad Rehman Gilani and senior officials of Ministries of Commerce and National Food Security to participate in the 9th Pakistan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Ministerial meeting. The US side was led by USTIR Ambassador Katherine Tai.
The Minister for Commerce and USTR had fulsome and comprehensive dialogue focusing on wide spectrum of trade and investment issues of mutual interest including agriculture, textiles, digital trade, enhancing market access, cooperation on good regulatory practices including intellectual property and labor rights, and women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Key issues discussed by our side during the meeting included enhancing exports of Pakistani mangoes and dates to the US, increased market access for our textiles, increasing US investments in Pakistan’s agriculture sector especially in development of hybrid, climate resilient seeds and supporting Pakistan’s IT and tech industry.
The two sides agreed to have regular follow up engagements during 2023 to ensure progress on all issues and achieving tangible results. They also agreed to convene the next TIFA Council Ministerial meeting in Islamabad in early 2024.
Two Joint Statements, one on the TIFA Council Ministerial meeting itself and the other on US-Pakistan Efforts in Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment were issued after yesterday’s meeting.
The last TIFA Council meeting was held in 2016. The convening of this meeting after seven years makes it an important milestone for robust bilateral engagement process this year, which has seen dialogues on a number of issues and still more dialogues are scheduled in coming weeks, including on energy and climate change.
The TIFA Council Ministerial meeting reflects mutual understanding and commitment on both sides to pursue a broad based agenda and making mutually beneficial trade and investment ties an important pillar of the bilateral relationship. This is a momentous opening that will have positive impact on other dialogue process.