Türkiye has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening economic relations with Pakistan, with both sides agreeing to advance talks on rice trade through upcoming technical-level meetings.
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan held a detailed meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Irfan Neziroglu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review bilateral trade cooperation, with a strong focus on increasing Pakistan’s rice exports to Türkiye.
During the meeting, Jam Kamal Khan highlighted that Pakistan has recorded a strong rice harvest this season, resulting in a surplus available for export. He noted, however, that aggressive pricing by major exporters such as India and Vietnam has intensified competition in global markets, exerting downward pressure on prices despite Pakistan maintaining healthy export volumes.
The commerce minister informed the Turkish side that Pakistan has developed a pricing support mechanism in consultation with exporters and industry stakeholders. Under this framework, Pakistan aims to align its export prices with prevailing international rates to remain competitive and avoid disadvantaging buyers.
He emphasized that Pakistan is fully capable of supplying both basmati and non-basmati rice to Türkiye at internationally competitive prices and urged Türkiye to consider increasing import volumes as a special case. Jam Kamal Khan stressed that Pakistan’s priority is enhancing export volumes rather than maximizing prices, in order to protect farmer incomes and sustain the agricultural value chain.
Both sides also discussed activating government-to-government (G2G) trade channels alongside existing private-sector mechanisms, including the possibility of bulk procurement through state-linked institutions.
The minister raised key market-access concerns, including tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), import licensing procedures, and the potential for zero or reduced tariffs on basmati rice. He called for better utilization and possible expansion of the existing TRQ of 18,000 metric tons under the Pakistan–Türkiye Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), noting that the quota has remained underutilized due to procedural constraints in previous cycles.
Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu welcomed Pakistan’s proposals and reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to deepening economic ties. He observed that bilateral trade volumes remain below their true potential despite strong political relations, recalling the jointly agreed target of achieving $5 billion in bilateral trade set during the Pakistan–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting.
Both sides agreed to enhance engagement between business communities through trade delegations, exhibitions, and B2B interactions to improve awareness of commercial opportunities. It was also agreed that technical delegations would meet in the coming weeks to advance discussions on rice trade, PTA expansion, and broader cooperation in agriculture, food processing, and value-added rice products, including parboiled rice.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to fast-track technical consultations, improve quota utilization, and expand Pakistan’s presence in the Turkish and regional rice markets, including potential re-export opportunities to neighboring countries.
