Pakistan has invited Samsung to make the country a regional hub for manufacturing, refurbishing, and exporting mobile phones.
The invitation was extended during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and a delegation led by Samsung Pakistan’s country head at the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.
According to an official statement, the minister assured Samsung of the government’s full support for investments that would increase exports, add value to locally manufactured products, and expand industrial production.
He encouraged the company to look beyond Pakistan’s domestic market and export smartphones manufactured in Pakistan to emerging markets, particularly in Africa and other regions. He said Pakistan should use its growing manufacturing sector to become part of global supply chains rather than focus solely on domestic demand.
The minister also welcomed Samsung’s proposal to establish certified mobile phone refurbishment facilities in Pakistan.
He said a properly regulated refurbishment ecosystem would strengthen the local industry, create export opportunities for professionally refurbished mobile phones, generate employment, and promote technical expertise.
During the meeting, the Samsung delegation briefed the ministry on the progress of Pakistan’s mobile phone manufacturing sector and the company’s investment in local assembly.
The delegation also raised concerns about changes to the tax structure and the reduced tariff differential between Semi Knocked Down (SKD) and Completely Built Unit (CBU) imports, saying the changes have reduced the competitiveness of locally manufactured mobile phones.
Samsung urged the government to maintain a reasonable tariff differential to encourage continued investment and support local manufacturing.
The delegation also expressed concern over the commercial import of used mobile phones, saying it undermines local manufacturing despite Pakistan having sufficient production capacity.
