ISLAMABAD:
Rising energy and import costs have made Pakistani products more expensive in international markets, contributing to a decline in exports of rice, sugar, cotton, onions, sesame and potatoes, the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce was told on Wednesday.
The committee, chaired by Senator Javed Hanif, was informed that Pakistan’s exports fell last fiscal year compared with 2024-25, while bilateral trade with neighbouring countries also declined.
Commerce Secretary Javed Pal said Pakistani exports stood at $30.8 billion during the last fiscal year, with rice exports alone registering a $1 billion decline. Exports of sugar, cotton, onions, sesame and potatoes also decreased.
The secretary said high domestic energy and import costs were making Pakistani products expensive and preventing them from competing effectively in global markets. “India is exporting cotton while we are importing it,” he said.
During a briefing on the Export Development Fund (EDF), the chairman of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) also highlighted the cost pressures facing exporters and the resulting loss of competitiveness in international markets.
The committee was also informed about potential export opportunities in seafood. Committee member Asad Alam Niazi said 300 to 400 donkeys were being sent to Gwadar every month, while Commerce Minister Jam Kamal said donkey meat was being exported from the port.
The minister said Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry had shown progress in Ethiopia this year, while efforts were continuing to expand trade and create new commercial opportunities. He added negotiations on reviewing the free trade agreement with China continued periodically.
Jam Kamal added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had chaired a meeting on Wednesday to examine measures for facilitating trade and reviewed difficulties faced from factories to ports. He said several domestic obstacles were also hindering the country’s exports.
The committee also considered the third amendment to the Trade Organisations Bill 2026, introduced by committee member Farooq Sattar. The proposed legislation seeks to address the restriction of trade chambers to individual districts.
Sattar said major cities were generally limited to one district chamber, whereas Karachi comprised multiple districts. Under the proposed amendment, Karachi would have a single chamber instead of separate district chambers, while the Women Chamber and Small Business Chamber would also have one chamber each.
Mirza Ikhtiar Baig supported the amendment but stressed that its implementation should not adversely affect districts elsewhere in the country. Jam Kamal said it was encouraging that all political parties had agreed on the legislation. He said the Commerce Ministry would consult the Ministry of Law.
The commerce secretary said India had provided billions of dollars in subsidies to farmers during the previous year. He added that Pakistan had tax and duty concessions in the US, Europe and Britain, but its exports remained unable to compete effectively in international markets.
