Islamabad :Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in collaboration with Handicraft Association of Pakistan and Trade and Investment Counsellor of Pakistan in Beijing organized a webinar on market opportunities for handicrafts products in the Chinese market. In this webinar, Trade and Investment Counsellor of Pakistan in Beijing, Mr. Badar u Zaman gave an overview of the handicraft products and its sub-categories that are high in demand in the Chinese market. He highlighted the substantial value of trade in handicraft products that takes place in China and gave valuable insights as to how this market can be penetrated by Pakistani suppliers. He laid particular emphasis on registering with Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Ali Baba, use of agents in China for continuous supply of handicraft shipments from Pakistan, improving packaging of Pakistani products and ensuring that the text is either in Chinese or English, and making use of permanent pavilions in Shanghai and Chengdu.
Director General TDAP Islamabad Mr. Shahzad Ahmed Khan told the participants that this is the first webinar in a series of webinars with trade and investment officers abroad for tapping market opportunities in the handicrafts sector. The first four countries identified for these webinars are China, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. In the Chinese markets, TDAP is holding webinars separately with Trade and Investment Officers of Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. According to Director General TDAP Islamabad, the purpose of these webinars is to find potential exporters of handicrafts products suitable for that particular market. These exporters will then participate in a second round of webinar with the same trade and investment officer in which matchmaking exercise will be conducted with these sellers and buyers of handicraft products abroad who will be brought in by the trade and investment officer.
Mr. Fahad Barlas, former chairman Handicraft Association of Pakistan talked about the conception of this initiative with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. He mentioned that the aim of this exercise was to connect exporters of handicraft products with foreign buyers and for this purpose Handicraft Association of Pakistan had brought together highly skilled producers of handicraft products who have a highly sophisticated product portfolio. He appreciated the national scope of this webinar and mentioned that exporters from all over Pakistan have been brought to this webinar by the Handicraft Association of Pakistan. Mr. Barlas expressed hope that this initiative will lead to a beneficial outcome.
Ms. Haleema Usman, chairperson Handicraft Association of Pakistan talked about e-marketing and the use of online channels for producers of handicraft products. She mentioned that local artisans can use digital spaces for their sales and achieving sustainable level of market penetration. Ms. Shireen Arshad Khan, founder Handicraft Association of Pakistan highlighted the importance of payment gateways and e-commerce training of artisans in Pakistan. Ms. Masooma Sibtain, Chairperson Committee on Women Economic Reforms stressed upon the suitability of China as the target market for Pakistani handicraft products. She laid particular emphasis on developing linkages of Pakistan’s trade mission with trade bodies in foreign countries so that buyers can be identified.