SIFC-backed Pak-China agreement aims to boost rock salt exports

Pakistan’s mineral sector received a major boost after Pak Salt Corporation signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement with the China National Salt Industry Group to enhance mining, processing and global exports of Pakistan’s rock salt reserves.

The agreement was finalised with the facilitation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), alongside support from the Ministry of Energy’s Petroleum Division, according to a statement issued on Sunday.

Under the agreement, Pakistan and China will cooperate to integrate Pakistani rock salt into organised global supply chains, with a focus on technology transfer, advanced mining methods, local processing and value addition to improve the international market presence of Pakistani salt products.

The statement said Pak Salt Corporation provides a unique platform bringing together Chinese, Pakistani and North American expertise, technology and investment in Pakistan’s mineral sector.

Chairman of China National Salt Industry Group Shen Xiaojun said Pakistan and China shared a longstanding friendship and there was significant potential for bilateral cooperation in the salt sector.

“This agreement opens new avenues for mutual growth,” he said.

Chairman of Pakistan Salt Company Ahmad Nadeem Khan said the partnership would help develop Pakistan’s unique salt resources through advanced Chinese technology and elevate them to international standards.

Muhammad Mubarak Khan, chief executive officer of Miracle Salt Development Corporation, said the agreement represented a landmark development that brought North American and Chinese entities together on a single platform through Pak Salt Corporation.

He said the achievement was made possible due to the strategic support of the SIFC, which had helped improve investor confidence and modernise Pakistan’s industrial framework.