Islamabad: President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), emphasized the urgent need for strategic, coordinated, and forward-looking measures to address the mounting challenges confronting Pakistan’s export sector. He stated that the evolving global and regional environment, particularly uncertainties surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and shifting economic dynamics, continues to exert significant pressure on Pakistan’s trade, energy security, and supply chains. He noted that as an energy-import dependent country, Pakistan is facing rising input costs, inflationary pressures, and declining export competitiveness. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of exporters who visited the Chamber House here on Thursday.
He observed that exporters are currently grappling with multiple operational challenges, including high energy tariffs, increased freight charges, supply chain disruptions, and exchange rate volatility, all of which are eroding profit margins and creating uncertainty in international markets. He stressed that without timely policy intervention, these issues could further hamper export growth.
Highlighting structural concerns, Sardar Tahir Mehmood pointed out persistent weaknesses such as unreliable energy supply, inefficiencies in logistics, limited technological adoption, and a narrow export base. He underscored the need for urgent reforms to ensure long-term economic resilience and sustainable export growth. Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism that emerging global shifts offer new opportunities for Pakistan. He emphasized that the realignment of global supply chains provides a valuable chance for the country to reposition itself through diversification, innovation, and value addition.
Outlining the way forward, the ICCI President called for a structured and solution-oriented approach, focusing on both immediate and long-term priorities. He proposed key measures including promotion of alternative and renewable energy for affordable power supply, upgradation of logistics and port infrastructure, ensuring policy consistency, improving ease of doing business, and enhancing investment in research, development, and value-added sectors.
Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub in his remarks, stressed the importance of close coordination between the public and private sectors to address exporters’ concerns. He highlighted that consistent policies, facilitation in taxation, and reduction in the cost of doing business are essential to enable exporters to compete effectively in international markets.
Vice President Irfan Chaudhry emphasized the need to strengthen institutional support for exporters, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). He noted that targeted incentives, improved access to finance, and capacity-building initiatives would play a critical role in enhancing export performance and broadening Pakistan’s export base.
