EU envoy, FPCCI chief discuss avenues for trade expansion

KARACHI: Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, said that Raimundas Karoblis, ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) for consultations aimed at expanding trade horizons, strengthening industrial linkages, and preparing the private sector for the upcoming cycle of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).

The ambassador emphasized the need of improved compliance with human and labor welfare conventions in Pakistan, said the FPCCI chief.

Karoblis acknowledged the pivotal intermediary role played by FPCCI in connecting policy directives with commercial implementation.

Reaffirming the European Union’s commitment to Pakistan’s sustainable economic development, the ambassador noted that GSP+ continues to serve as an effective engine of growth, while highlighting that Pakistani exporters must seize emerging opportunities to diversify beyond traditional textiles into value-added engineering, IT services, leather, and food products, the EU envoy was reported to have said.

Atif Ikram Sheikh said that the discussions brought together diplomatic representatives and members of Pakistan’s apex trade body to examine strategies for diversifying Pakistan’s export basket, encouraging direct European investment in high-yield domestic sectors, and reinforcing compliance with international sustainability conventions.

He said that the European Union remains one of Pakistan’s most vital trading and development partners.

Atif Ikram Sheikh reiterated the fact that the European Union is an indispensable commercial ally, and the preferential tariff regime under GSP+ has enabled Pakistan’s exports to the European single market to expand by over 108 percent over the past decade. As Pakistan prepares to transition into the next GSP+ cycle, our industrial sectors remain firmly committed to complying with all conventions covering human rights, labor welfare, climate action, and good governance.

He stated that the apex trade body aims to facilitate joint ventures and European direct investment across high-potential sectors including renewable energy, digital services, high-value textile manufacturing, and agro-processing.

“Our focus is on transforming traditional buyer-seller transactions into long-term technology transfer partnerships,” he added.

Senior Vice President of FPCCI, Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, highlighted the tangible economic interventions required to ensure that the local industry can fully leverage trade pacts and withstand global supply chain volatility.

Zubair Baweja, Head of FPCCI’s Pak-EU Business Forum, outlined the mechanisms being deployed to build lasting business-to-business (B2B) linkages. The establishment of FPCCI’s Pak-EU Business Forum reflects our dedication to building actionable bridges between European buyers and Pakistani exporters, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026