Both countries aim to boost bilateral trade, strengthen business partnerships, and develop a more structured economic framework.
Pakistan and the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen bilateral trade relations, enhance business-to-business collaboration, and explore the possibility of upgrading their existing Trade Dialogue into a more comprehensive and structured economic partnership framework.
The understanding was reached during a meeting held on Thursday between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott at the Ministry of Commerce in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul and senior officials from both countries.
During the discussions, Jam Kamal Khan highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to improve its business environment through tariff rationalisation, digital transformation, and regulatory reforms. He noted that these initiatives are aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Pakistani industries and creating a more favorable environment for domestic and international businesses.
The commerce minister emphasized that stable and predictable tariff policies, improved access to financing, and affordable industrial inputs are essential for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), e-commerce businesses, and export-oriented industries.
He added that these measures would help Pakistani companies expand into new international markets and strengthen export performance.
Khan also identified Africa and Central Asia as key emerging markets for Pakistani exports. He stressed the importance of enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and the UK in areas such as quality standards, certification processes, product traceability, environmental compliance, and value-added manufacturing to improve export competitiveness.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott welcomed Pakistan’s economic reform agenda and acknowledged the country’s efforts to improve trade facilitation and investment conditions.
She said the UK is considering transforming the current Trade Dialogue into a more robust institutional mechanism with dedicated sectors, working groups, and implementation timelines to ensure effective cooperation.
Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul informed the meeting that two Pakistan-UK working groups are already operational, while proposals have been made to establish additional groups to further expand bilateral cooperation. He also called for a more active role by the UK-Pakistan Business Council in promoting investment, facilitating commercial partnerships, and identifying viable business opportunities.
The meeting also discussed intellectual property protection. Jawad Paul noted that Pakistan is strengthening its intellectual property enforcement framework and expects the appointment of a new Chairman of the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan in the near future.
Both sides agreed to maintain close engagement and work towards holding the next Pakistan-UK Trade Dialogue in Islamabad during the autumn of this year, reflecting their shared commitment to expanding trade and economic cooperation.