Pakistan’s sesame seed exports to China crossed $68.56 million in the first three quarters of 2025, China Economic Net reported on Wednesday quoting the latest data from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). During the same period last year, Pakistan’s sesame exports totaled $36.59 million, representing a remarkable year-on-year increase of over 87%. From January to September 2025, Pakistan exported 55.61 million kilograms of sesame seeds to China at an average price of $1.23 per kilogram.

In the same period last year, the figure was 23.95 million kilograms with an average price of $1.52 per kilogram. Globally, China’s sesame seed imports have continued to grow steadily amid rising demand for edible oils and traditional food processing. GACC data further showed that Niger remained China’s leading sesame supplier with exports worth $543.02 million, followed by Togo ($189.10 million) and Tanzania ($161.68 million) in the first nine months of 2025. Other key suppliers included Ethiopia ($144.03 million), Mozambique ($121.18 million), and Myanmar ($88.56 million).

Pakistani exporters believe that the country’s strong export performance highlights its improving agricultural production and growing competitiveness in the Chinese market. They added that, in recent years, Chinese enterprises have strengthened cooperation with Pakistani traders to enhance value addition and post-harvest processing, significantly improving export quality and consistency. “In September 2024, we successfully organized the ‘Sesame Trade and Investment Opportunities in China’ event.

A 23-member Pakistani delegation secured deals for 15,000 metric tons and signed a $28 million MoU with Daming government-backed enterprises,” said Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China. He added that 177 Pakistani sesame companies are now registered in China. Experts noted that sesame seeds are increasingly being used in China’s food, oil, and health product industries, driving import demand.

Pakistan’s sesame seed quality, favorable climatic conditions, and expanding export capacity offer a promising outlook for further trade growth between the two countries. Analysts said that recent floods in Pakistan affected exports, but they expect the country’s sesame seed shipments to continue their upward trajectory in the coming years.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China