Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan is stepping up efforts to expand rice exports to Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region through trade negotiations, revisions in customs valuations, and enhanced promotional activities, according to an official document.

The document said Pakistan is negotiating a Preferential Trade Agreement with Mozambique, with the text “under finalisation,” adding that at subsequent stages of tariff negotiations, rice will be given due preference in seeking market access.

It said institutional arrangements are also underway to initiate free trade agreement negotiations with the East African Community, where rice will be among the priority products for seeking tariff concessions at appropriate stages of the talks.

To strengthen commercial linkages, the document noted that the first-ever Pakistani Rice Road Shows were organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in West Africa in August 2025 across Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. The initiative aimed to promote Pakistani rice, engage local importers, and facilitate business-to-business meetings to build long-term market linkages.

The document added that in 2025, through coordinated efforts with the Kenyan government, the customs valuation of Pakistani rice was revised from FOB $615 per metric tonne to FOB $460 per metric tonne to enhance its competitiveness in the Kenyan market.

Under the “Look Africa Policy,” five flagship single-country exhibitions have been organised in different regions of Africa, with the most recent edition held in Ethiopia in 2025. Rice exporters received prominent representation in all editions, it said.

It further said that the participation of rice buyers from Africa has been facilitated in all three editions of TDAP’s International Food and Agro Exhibition.

On outreach to the Middle East and Africa more broadly, the document said the Ministry of Commerce is making concerted efforts to promote exports, including rice, through measures to secure market access as well as product promotion.

In the Gulf Cooperation Council region, Pakistan enjoys zero import duty on its rice exports, the document said, adding that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remain major markets for Pakistani rice.

However, it noted that price competitiveness, particularly vis-à-vis Indian rice, continues to pose a significant supply-side challenge, while Pakistan is actively working to increase its export share in these markets.

The document said Pakistan also facilitates delegations from the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, noting that a REAP delegation visited the kingdom in 2024, where meetings were held with key rice-sector stakeholders.

It added that at the Gulfood Expo 2026 in Dubai, Pakistani rice companies are participating robustly to promote and showcase the country’s rice products.

Credit: INP-WealthPk