NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, undertook a three-day commercial outreach visit to New York from September 15–17 to promote Pakistan’s textile exports and strengthen trade linkages with the U.S. market.
He was accompanied by Mohammad Hanif Channa, Minister (Trade & Investment).
During the visit, Ambassador Sheikh met senior leadership of major Pakistani textile manufacturers including Gul Ahmed, Alkaram Industries, Alkaram Towels, Nishat Mills, and Lucky Textiles. He also engaged with U.S.-based importers, sourcing agents, and commercial facilitators such as TEU, Trade Exhibitor USA, and GPL LLC.
The discussions focused on strategies to increase Pakistan’s share in the U.S. textile market by capitalizing on the country’s production capacity, competitive advantage in home textiles, and compliance record.
The Ambassador emphasized that recent global trade shifts had created new opportunities for Pakistan, urging exporters to act quickly to convert them into sustainable business gains.
He encouraged Pakistani firms to explore e-commerce and direct-to-consumer platforms, highlighting the success of early entrants into the U.S. digital retail space.
Exporters raised concerns over high energy costs, limited access to working capital, and the need for dedicated Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to support sustainable manufacturing and online trade.
Ambassador Sheikh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting exporters through proactive commercial diplomacy and closer collaboration between the Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Consulate General in New York.
The visit reflected Pakistan’s broader strategy of expanding value-added exports and positioning itself as a long-term partner in global textile supply chains.
