According to sources, Pakistan has offered, through a government-supported support mechanism, to align with global prices so that Turkey can be supplied with both Basmati and non-Basmati rice at internationally competitive rates.
This development emerged during a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Turkey’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Irfan Nazir Oghlu. The meeting aimed to review and enhance bilateral trade cooperation, with a particular focus on increasing Pakistan’s rice exports to Turkey.
A statement issued on Wednesday noted that the meeting was held under the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has prioritized strengthening agricultural exports, especially rice, in view of growing global competition.
During the discussions, the Federal Minister highlighted that Pakistan has had an excellent rice harvest this season, ensuring both high quality and sufficient surplus for export. However, he noted that aggressive price reductions by competing exporters, particularly India and Vietnam, have created challenges in global markets, exerting downward pressure on prices even as export volumes remain steady.
Jam Kamal informed the Turkish delegation that, after close consultation with rice exporters and other industry stakeholders, the government has developed a price-support mechanism to ensure Pakistan’s competitiveness in international markets. Under this mechanism, Pakistan is ready to compete with global prices so that buyers do not face any loss or barriers when sourcing rice from Pakistan.
The Federal Minister emphasized that Pakistan is fully prepared to supply Turkey with both Basmati and non-Basmati rice at internationally competitive rates. He urged Turkey to consider increasing imports of Pakistani rice as a special case, clarifying that Pakistan’s primary goal is to boost export volume rather than raise prices excessively, thereby protecting farmers’ incomes and maintaining the agricultural value chain.
To achieve this goal, both sides discussed activating government-to-government (G2G) trade channels alongside the existing private-sector mechanism. Under the proposed framework, Pakistan’s official trading bodies will coordinate with Turkey’s relevant government and private sector institutions, including government rice procurement agencies, to facilitate large-scale purchases where price competitiveness is ensured.
The Federal Minister also raised key market-access issues, including tariff-rate quotas, import licensing procedures, and the possibility of zero or low tariffs on Basmati rice. He stressed the need to expand and better utilize the existing 18,000 metric ton tariff-rate quota under the Pakistan-Turkey preferential trade agreement, noting that past restrictions prevented full utilization of this quota.
The Turkish Ambassador welcomed Pakistan’s proposals and reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to strengthening economic relations. He noted that despite strong political ties, bilateral trade volumes remain below potential and reminded Pakistan of the joint $5 billion trade target agreed during the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting.
Both parties agreed on the need to enhance business-to-business connections, including trade delegations, exhibitions, and B2B meetings, to raise awareness of trade opportunities. It was also agreed that technical delegations will meet in the coming weeks to further discuss rice trade, expansion of the preferential trade agreement, and broader cooperation in agriculture, food processing, and value-added rice products such as parboiled rice.
