ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran have agreed to accelerate efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as Iran expressed readiness to purchase maize and animal feed from Pakistan following the successful completion of rice imports under earlier agreements.
The development came during a meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri-Moghaddam in Islamabad on Friday. Both sides reviewed progress on recent trade initiatives and explored new areas of collaboration in agriculture, transport, and border trade.
Minister Jam Kamal congratulated the ambassador on the successful organization of the 22nd Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission, and invited Iranian companies to participate in the upcoming FoodAg Exhibition, to be held in Karachi from November 25–27, 2025. He said the event would serve as a key platform for promoting agri-food trade, joint ventures, and investment opportunities between the two countries.
The minister also proposed high-level exchanges between the Chief Minister of Balochistan and the Governor of Zahedan to further facilitate cross-border trade and economic connectivity.
Ambassador Amiri-Moghaddam welcomed Pakistan’s efforts to ease trade procedures under the revised barter trade mechanism, noting that both countries are moving toward the shared goal of achieving US$10 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2028.
He highlighted Iran’s ongoing interest in importing 300,000 tons of meat, 200,000 tons of maize, and 50,000 tons of animal feed from Pakistan, reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to expanding commercial ties.
Minister Jam Kamal informed the envoy that the draft Pakistan-Iran Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is currently under internal review and will soon be presented for formal approval. He also welcomed the resumption of Quetta-Zahedan flights, which he said would strengthen people-to-people and trade connectivity.
Highlighting border trade facilitation, the minister lauded the reactivation of the Mand-Pishin Joint Border Market in July and called for early operationalization of the Chegdi-Kouhak and Gabd-Reemdan markets.
He said the Ministry of Commerce is coordinating with the FBR and Ministry of Communications to resolve issues faced by Iranian trucks entering Pakistan, and urged the revival of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Business Council to enhance private-sector collaboration.
Both sides reaffirmed their brotherly relations and commitment to advancing mutual economic interests through closer coordination and institutional cooperation.
