KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has called for a strategic push to expand trade and investment with Eastern Europe, describing the region as a largely untapped market with significant potential for Pakistani exporters.
President FPCCI, Atif Ikram Sheikh, said Pakistan’s economic engagement with Eastern Europe remains far below its potential, citing State Bank of Pakistan data that showed exports to the region rose to $758 million in fiscal year 2025 from $740 million in FY2024. Imports fell to $705 million from $1.67 billion over the same period, bringing total two-way merchandise trade to approximately $1.46 billion in FY2025.
“While the recent growth in our exports is encouraging, the overall volume of trade remains modest in view of the economic potential, market size and strategic importance of Eastern Europe,” Sheikh said in a statement.
“This clearly demonstrates that we need to diversify our export destinations and make a concerted effort to explore these relatively untapped markets.”
Sheikh identified Romania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Ukraine as markets offering opportunities for Pakistani products and services. He said Pakistan should not remain overly concentrated in traditional European markets and should develop new business linkages with emerging destinations.
Sectors with potential for greater market access include textiles and apparel, home textiles, rice and food products, surgical and medical instruments, sports goods, leather products, furniture, agriculture and food processing, pharmaceuticals, and IT and digital services, he said.
Sheikh said the newly established FPCCI EU Forum would facilitate greater interaction with European chambers of commerce, business associations, importers, distributors and investment institutions. He proposed exploring Pakistan-Eastern Europe business forums, sector-specific B2B meetings, buyer-seller interactions, trade delegations and participation in major European exhibitions, particularly in markets where Pakistan’s presence remains limited.
The FPCCI president stressed that Eastern Europe should be viewed not only as individual markets but also as a strategic gateway to the wider European Union and European supply chains. He said Pakistan could pursue opportunities in both exports and investment partnerships, including joint ventures, distribution networks, logistics, food processing, manufacturing and technology services.
“Pakistan must look beyond traditional markets and actively pursue new economic frontiers,” Sheikh said. “Eastern Europe represents one such frontier, with substantial untapped potential for trade, investment, technology cooperation and private-sector partnerships.”
