Industry for grabbing Africa, non-traditional markets for auto parts export.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) Senior Vice Chairman Usman Aslam Malik has underscored the need for scaling up bilateral trade with the international market, especially focusing on Africa and other non-traditional markets to find more customers for our auto parts exports from Pakistan. He was talking to a delegation of foreign ambassadors and commercial heads in the Foreign Service Academy, who visited the PAAPAM Head Office here Friday. The delegation, headed by the Director of the Academy, Irfan Shoukat, took a keen interest in boosting trade, especially in the auto sector and strategic relations between their countries and Pakistan. The delegation consisted of Ivan Kotov from Bulgaria, Dr Calleb Ongoma, Ms Christine Nzumbu from Kenya, Ms Aminath Raziyya from Maldives, Jama Hassan Salad from Somalia, Mashudubele Mamabolo from South Africa, Ihab Abdulrazig Abdallah Mohamed from Sudan, Mirzoaliev Norinj from Tajikistan, Meretdurdy Abdyllayev from Turkmenistan, and Azizbek Mizamov and Oybek Abdulkhakov from Uzbekistan.

The delegates appreciated the great potential for auto parts in Pakistan, which could be exported to their countries. The visitors also briefed about raw materials their countries could offer the Pakistani auto parts industry. Bulgarian ambassador, Ivan Kotov invited PAAPAM members to visit Albania, which was centrally located in Eastern Europe. Dr Calleb Ongoma said their country was a gateway to many other neighboring countries due to special preferential trade agreements. The other foreign office dignitaries also invited PAAPAM to visit their countries to explore export markets and import their raw materials.

PAAPAM senior vice chairman gave a thorough presentation on PAAPAM members' engineering technologies, quality standards, and production capacities.

He informed them that a delegation of PAAPAM members was already lined up to visit the African market to explore bilateral trade potential.

He said that Pakistan desperately needs to enhance the size of its export basket by introducing non-traditional markets and commodities. Auto parts and accessories are among the...