KARACHI: The Ambassador of Belgium, Frederick Verheyden informed that a multisectoral trade delegation from Belgium, comprising representatives of 12 leading companies, was currently on a visit to Pakistan to explore opportunities of enhancing trade between the business communities of the two countries.
Exchanging views with KCCI office bearers during his visit to KCCI, the Belgian Ambassador added that many Pakistani companies visited Belgium last month and now the Belgian delegation was also here within weeks to hold meetings with business communities in Karachi and Lahore in order to explore trade enhancement opportunities in engineering, information and communication technology, steel, aluminum, healthcare, metallic and wood scrap recycling, logs & timber, dairy products, cargo logistics, potato processing and industrial equipment.
Abid Husain, Trade Commissioner, Economic and Commercial Representation, Embassy of Belgium, Ms. Karine de Vleeschouwer, Area Manager Central & South Asia of Flanders Investment & Trade, Younus Muhammad Bashir, President KCCI, Zia Ahmed Khan, Senior Vice President KCCI, Muhammad Naeem Sharif, Vice President KCCI, Majyd Aziz, Former President KCCI and Managing Committee members attended the meeting.
He noted that during Fiscal Year 2015, Pakistan exported goods worth $496.01 million against $ 471.56 million in the same period last year, showing an increase of 5 percent. The imports from Belgium amounted to $328.01 million as against $ 427.76 million in Fiscal Year 2014, indicating a decline of 23 percent. Although the trade balance was in favor of Pakistan but the trade volume of slightly above $800 million, was very low which needs special attention from both sides, President KCCI added.
