Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar on Wednesday stressed the need for enhancing bilateral trade with Australia to its true potential, besides enhancing cooperation and transfer of technology in developing food processing, dairy and cattle industry.
The minister held a meeting with Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins, where as the meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary Commerce Ahsan Ali Mangi and Joint Secretary Dr Adnan Ahmed, said a press release.
Naveed Qamar said that bilateral trade between Australia and Pakistan had not achieved its potential and Pakistan’s exports to Australia had remained stagnant over the years.
He emphasized on the tariff differential faced by Pakistani exporters due to Pakistan’s “Developing Country Status” in Australian System of Tariff Preferences (ASTP) as compared to its competitors.
The Australian High Commissioner agreed minister’s point of view to enhance bilateral trade especially in the field of agriculture, textile and tourism.
The both sides also discussed the possibility of preferential market access under formal arrangements like PTA and FTA with Pakistan.—APP
