ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday that China has agreed on granting zero-rated facility to Pakistani export of agricultural products and started buying the country’s sugar which is expected to boost exports to China by an additional $1 billion this year. 

Qureshi was speaking at a joint news conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood and chairman Board of Investment (BOI), upon his return from China.

The Foreign Minister said that during his talks with the Chinese authorities he was told that they have agreed on zero-rated facility on export of Pakistani agricultural products, adding that China has already started buying sugar from the country and modalities are being workout on other agricultural products including wheat.

“After this facility, we are expecting an additional $1 billion exports to China this year”, Qureshi expressed the hope. He further said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China next month and the two sides will hold discussions on all issues of mutual interests, including on further deepening the trade and economic ties.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Razzak Dawood said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and China is likely to be signed during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming visit to China at the end of next month.