Argentine's Ambassador to Pakistan Rodolfo J. Martin Saravia has advised Pakistani business community to explore trade opportunities in various sectors in his country. Speaking at a meeting of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), he said that though the trade volume between Argentina and Pakistan was not big enough, collective efforts could help enhance trade between the two countries.
Urging the businessmen of Argentina to explore possibilities of selling their products to Pakistan, he said that the business communities of both the countries must join hands and work together for improving trade ties through their participation in exhibitions, trade delegations' visits and other trade promotional activities.
Identifying some of the potential sectors, he particularly mentioned agriculture and livestock sectors, saying Pakistan could benefit from the Argentina's know-how and expertise in these sectors. He said that the technology being used in his country's agriculture and livestock sectors can also be transferred to Pakistan. He informed that silo bags being manufactured in Argentina for the last so many years were being used in many countries around the world for safely preserving various dry commodities, including sugar, corns, grains, wheat and rice etc for a certain period. "These silo bags could also be used by Pakistani businessmen for preserving dry commodities," he suggested.
Recalling that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the KCCI and its counterpart Chamber in Argentina when Khalid Firoz was president of Karachi Chamber, Rodolfo Martin called for reactivating this MoU for strengthening trade ties as well as for bringing business communities of both the countries closer.
Rodolfo Martin informed that it was his farewell visit to KCCI as after serving for 12 years as ambassador of his country in Pakistan he will be leaving this country. "I had some of the most memorable time of my life in Pakistan," the envoy commented, saying he will continue his efforts for more close relations between the two countries. KCCI president Younus Muhammad Bashir said that Pakistan and Argentina have been enjoying friendly and cordial relationship as well as understanding on all major global and regional issues. Both the countries have well-established trade links by having a joint economic committee and the Pak-Argentina Business Council.
He informed that Pakistan's export to Argentina during fiscal 2015 experienced a decline of 21 per cent as goods, worth $44 million, were exported as against exports of $53m in the same period of last fiscal year 2014. However, the country's imports from Argentina doubled to $141m from the preceding year's imports of $71m, he added.
Underscoring the need for making collective efforts for increasing trade volume between the two countries, the KCCI chief said that strategies must be devised for bringing the business communities of both the countries closer as it was the only way forward and the Karachi Chamber is ready to play its role in attaining this objective.
Pointing out that there is a huge potential for enhancing bilateral trade relations between Argentina and Pakistan, Bashir said agriculture, alternative energy, pharmaceuticals and CNG buses could serve as key sectors for starting joint ventures between the two nations. "Pakistan also has great potential for exporting fruits and vegetables to Argentina and hence fruit processing plants can be developed on modern lines to meet the demand," he opined. Moreover, Pakistan has huge potential for exporting traditional commodities such as rice, sports goods, surgical instruments, leather, and textile products to Argentina, he added.