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A seminar on increasing exports of furniture sector was organized by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) in collaboration with Pakistan Furniture Association at Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The objective of the seminar was to shed light on best practices and strategies to promote the quality and export potential of Pakistan’s furniture industry and to share knowledge for sustainable development.
The seminar was organized to provide information on wood identification, quality testing, and export procedures, with the aim of developing Pakistan’s furniture industry and increasing the share of the furniture industry in the export sector. The session was chaired by RCCI President Usman Shaukat, who appreciated TDAP and TEVTA for focusing on non-traditional sectors, especially the furniture industry.
The participants of the seminar were informed that Pakistan’s furniture market is believed to be worth around $3 billion (Pakistan & Gulf economist, 2019). It is consisted on more than fifteen thousand small and medium units across the country. Pakistan’s furniture sector has variety of traditional (Classical) style furniture e.g. Antique, Chinioti, Mughal, Oriental etc. While, domestic furniture market is sharply moving towards modern (Italic) designs. As the traditional (Antique & Chinioti) solid wood furniture is relatively expensive, in comparison to modern designs MDF (medium density fiberboard) furniture.
The chief guest of the event was Mr. Khalid Rasool, Director General (E&M Division-II), TDAP. Senior Vice President Khalid Farooq Qazi, Vice President Fahad Barlas, Executive Member Bilal Javed and officials and representatives of the furniture industry were present on the occasion. The seminar was also addressed by Zahid Hussain, Chairman Pakistan Furniture Association, Islamabad, and Samiullah, Project Director TEVTA Woodworking Center, Rawalpindi, who shared valuable insights on the growth and opportunities of the sector. The technical session of the seminar featured important and informative presentations by experts, including Dr. Zahid Rauf (Director, Forest Products Research Division, Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar), Dr. Tanveer Hussain (Logging Officer, Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar), and Ms Nadia Farooqi (Director, E&M, TDAP). —
