LAHORE: While the Pak-Africa trade currently stands at US $4 billion, analysts have called for enhancing trade volume between Pakistan and African countries. Former ambassador AM Shahid said that Pak-Africa US $ 4 billion trade is low compared to one trillion dollars of international trade with Africa.

“If we want to enhance our trade with African countries, we have to find out the ways to increase bilateral trade,” he said, adding: “At this point of time, we are exporting some cotton stuff, textiles and sports goods to African countries.”

Shahid said, we have to engage with Southern and Northern African countries in order to boost the trade by focusing on non-traditional items like agricultural machinery, tractors and other products.

He said there is dire need to improve people to people contacts with African countries to increase trade. There are many other areas of cooperation as well, but need of the hour is to devise certain policies in this regard, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022