ACC Discusses Trade Relations with Pakistan
29/01/2025
The Board of Directors of Amman Chamber of Commerce met with the Ambassador of Pakistan to the Kingdom, Muhammad Ajmal Iqbal, to discuss ways to enhance economic relations between the two countries, exchange trade missions, and hold joint exhibitions to promote products from both nations.
According to a statement from the Chamber, of ACC Khalil El Haj Tawfiq, emphasized during the meeting, held at the embassy's premises, that Jordan-Pakistan economic relations were below expectations, necessitating improved communication between relevant parties in both countries to develop cooperation opportunities, particularly in promising sectors.
El Haj Tawfiq highly praised the ongoing efforts of the ambassador to strengthen bilateral relations, reflecting the deep relations between the two sides, especially in economic and trade areas, expressing great appreciation for the continuous cooperation between Amman Chamber of Commerce and the Pakistani embassy.
During the meeting, which was attended by the Chamber's Vice Chairman Nabil Khatib and Bahjat Hamdan, Treasurer Khattab Banna, Board Member Falah Al-Sghayer, Director General of the Chamber Ghaleb Hijazi, and Deputy Director General Bashar Muqbil, the Chairman mentioned the Chamber's desire to form a trade delegation to participate in the Health, Engineering, and Minerals Exhibition scheduled for April 17 in Lahore, Pakistan, organized by the Pakistan Trade Development Authority.
He confirmed that this exhibition would provide an ideal platform to explore the latest developments and opportunities in health, engineering, and minerals, as well as a key opportunity to expand cooperation between Jordanian and Pakistani companies in these fields.
He further expressed that the Chamber's Board of Directors looks forward with optimism to more fruitful cooperation between Amman Chamber of Commerce and the Pakistani embassy, anticipating that the visit of the Jordanian trade delegation will result in signing memoranda of understanding with the chambers of commerce in Sialkot, Karachi, and Lahore, thus strengthening economic partnerships and contributing to boosting trade growth between the two countries.
For his part, the ambassador noted that relations between the two countries continue to develop, highlighting numerous areas and opportunities for increasing trade volume and supporting joint economic relations across various sectors.
The Pakistani ambassador called for facilitating visa issuance for Pakistani citizens and businesspeople, as this is crucial for enhancing cooperation in the economic and tourism sectors, boosting business activity, increasing tourism flow, and supporting mutual investments for shared benefits.
The ambassador also mentioned areas of collaboration between the embassy and the Chamber, including holding a Jordanian trade exhibition in Pakistan, a Pakistani product exhibition in Jordan across various sectors, and receiving trade delegations between the two countries.
Board members present at the meeting emphasized the commercial and service sectors’ eagerness to increase and enhance imports of Pakistani products, along with exporting Jordanian products such as fertilizers, phosphate, potash, olive oil, dates, Dead Sea salts, and other goods to Pakistan.
They also pointed out that tourism could be one of the most important sectors for advancing economic cooperation between the two countries, with tourism serving as a gateway for business activities. They stressed the need for a direct flight route and highlighted the opportunity to increase trade exchanges given the availability of maritime shipping routes, which would facilitate cost-effective transportation of goods.
Additionally, they confirmed that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Jordan is of particular importance due to the focus on enhancing the innovation economy, human capital, and the presence of one of the best ICT infrastructures.
It is noted that Jordan's exports to Pakistan amounted to approximately $8 million during the first eleven months of 2024, compared to $39 million in imports from Pakistan for the same period.
