By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: The Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) has called for greater efforts to expand Pakistan’s seafood exports to China, describing the growing demand for Pakistani mud crabs and other seafood products as a major opportunity for export diversification, foreign exchange generation and development of the country’s blue economy.

PCJCCI President Nazir Hussain said Pakistan possessed considerable potential in fisheries and seafood exports, particularly in high-value products such as mud crabs, shrimp, lobster, and fresh and frozen fish.

He emphasized the need to capitalize on Pakistan’s extensive coastline and marine resources by investing in modern seafood processing facilities, cold-chain infrastructure, quality control systems and international certification.

Nazir Hussain said China’s large and rapidly expanding seafood market offered Pakistani exporters an important opportunity to increase their market share and establish long-term commercial partnerships.

He said Pakistan’s seafood exports to China reached approximately US$255 million in 2025, representing a 24 percent increase compared with 2024 and highlighting the growing potential of the Chinese market.

PCJCCI Vice President Amir Ali highlighted the growth in Pakistan-China seafood trade, saying improved supply chains and compliance with international food-safety standards could further strengthen Pakistan’s position in China.

He said Pakistan’s total seafood export earnings during the 2025-26 financial year reached approximately US$482.08 million, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)-verified data, while provisional figures from the Ministry put the figure at around US$568 million.

China remained the primary destination for Pakistani seafood exports, he added.

Amir Ali further said chilled and fresh crab exports to China had also continued to grow, exceeding US$31.9 million during the first 11 months of 2025.

PCJCCI Commercial Ambassador Adeel Munawar said mud crabs had emerged as a promising export product and could play an important role in diversifying Pakistan’s seafood exports.

He stressed the need to strengthen business-to-business linkages with Chinese importers, distributors, retailers and food-service companies to establish sustainable market access for Pakistani exporters.

PCJCCI Secretary General Salahuddin Hanif said expansion of seafood exports could generate employment opportunities and improve livelihoods for coastal communities in Sindh and Balochistan.

He called for stronger coordination among government agencies, exporters, fisheries authorities and logistics providers to develop an integrated seafood export ecosystem.

The PCJCCI urged targeted policy support, investment in modern seafood infrastructure and stronger Pakistan-China business linkages to unlock the sector’s export potential and position Pakistan as a competitive seafood supplier in China’s growing market.