Chinese manufacturers invited to establish JVs in country

KARACHI: Pakistan has invited Chinese manufacturers and investors to establish joint ventures and production facilities in the country, particularly in dyes and chemicals, agro-chemicals, biotechnology, industrial chemicals and other value-added sectors, as Islamabad seeks to deepen bilateral trade and move Pakistan-China economic cooperation towards joint industrial production. Pakistan Chemicals & Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) informed that the invitation was extended by PCDMA Chairman Salim Valimuhammad while representing Pakistan at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) and the IBI 99 Global Business Linkage Festival in Beijing. Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, Senator Rana Mahmoodul-Hassan, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, Muhammad Asif Khatri and Muhammad Jawwad Iqbal also attended the event. Valimuhammad said Pakistan and China are “iron brothers” and that the next phase of economic cooperation should focus on building industries together rather than relying primarily on bilateral trade in finished products. Valimuhammad said Pakistan’s dyes and chemicals sector is closely linked with the country’s USD20 billion textile, leather and coatings exports. Pakistan imports more than USD1. 5 billion worth of dyes and chemicals annually, with around 85 per cent from China, demonstrating the scale of the existing market and the potential for Chinese companies to manufacture locally. He invited Chinese companies to explore joint ventures in textile dyes and auxiliaries, reactive and disperse dyes, environmentally compliant chemicals, crop-protection products, biotechnology, sodium hydrosulphite and sodium sulphite, citric acid, acetic and oxalic acids, hydrogen peroxide, coatings, adhesives and other green and specialty chemicals. Pakistan’s agriculture sector also offers significant opportunities, he said, noting that the crop-protection market was worth more than Rs100 billion, while a substantial share of pesticide active ingredients was imported. Chinese investment and technology could help develop local manufacturing, reduce import dependence and provide access to regional export markets. He said Pakistan’s hydrogen peroxide industry could support capacity expansion and export-oriented production, while growing construction and industrial activity was creating additional demand for coatings, adhesives and environmentally compliant specialty chemicals. Calling on Chinese businesses to invest in Pakistan, he said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) special economic zones and other government initiatives are creating a more investor-friendly environment through streamlined approvals, serviced industrial land, fiscal incentives and facilitation for foreign investors. “Come to Pakistan. Invest in dyes, agro-chemicals, biotechnology and industrial chemicals. The market is ready, the government is supportive and PCDMA is your partner, ” he said. The PCDMA chairman said the association was seeking to move beyond its traditional trading role by facilitating joint ventures, manufacturing plants, technology-transfer partnerships and investment linkages between Chinese companies and Pakistani businesses. He said PCDMA had already signed memorandum of understanding with SIEM and CCPIT at China InterDye 2026 in Shanghai and was now offering Chinese investors access to potential Pakistani partners and industrial buyers through its membership network. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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