Karachi: European Union Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Raimundas Karoblis visited the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Head Office in Karachi for consultations aimed at expanding trade horizons, strengthening industrial linkages, and preparing Pakistan’s private sector for the upcoming cycle of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+).
The high-level discussions brought together diplomatic representatives and senior members of Pakistan’s apex trade body to explore strategies for diversifying the country’s export basket, attracting direct European investment into high-yield domestic sectors, and reinforcing compliance with international sustainability conventions.
FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said the European Union remains one of Pakistan’s most vital trading and development partners, with preferential market access under GSP+ serving as a cornerstone of national economic stability.
He noted that the preferential tariff regime has enabled Pakistan’s exports to the European single market to expand by more than 108 percent over the past decade. As Pakistan prepares to transition into the next GSP+ cycle, he said, the country’s industrial sectors remain firmly committed to complying with all conventions covering human rights, labour welfare, climate action, and good governance.
Sheikh added that FPCCI aims to facilitate joint ventures and European direct investment across high-potential sectors, including renewable energy, digital services, high-value textile manufacturing, and agro-processing. The focus, he said, is on transforming traditional buyer-seller transactions into long-term technology-transfer partnerships.
Ambassador Karoblis acknowledged FPCCI’s pivotal role in connecting policy directives with commercial implementation. Reaffirming the European Union’s commitment to Pakistan’s sustainable economic development, he said GSP+ continues to serve as an effective engine of growth.
The Ambassador urged Pakistani exporters to seize emerging opportunities to diversify beyond traditional textiles into value-added engineering, IT services, leather, and food products. He also emphasised the need for improved compliance with human-rights and labour-welfare conventions in Pakistan.
FPCCI Senior Vice President Saquib Fayyaz Magoon highlighted the practical economic interventions needed to help local industry fully leverage trade agreements and withstand global supply-chain volatility. He said Pakistan’s industrial sector has immense untapped capacity, but sustained competitiveness in demanding European markets requires targeted trade facilitation, regulatory harmonisation, and a reduction in the domestic cost of doing business.
Zubair Baweja, Head of FPCCI’s Pak-EU Business Forum, outlined the mechanisms being deployed to build lasting business-to-business linkages. He said the establishment of the forum reflects FPCCI’s commitment to creating actionable bridges between European buyers and Pakistani exporters.
