Islamabad, July 20, 2026: Business leaders and diplomats at a seminar hosted by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) stressed the need to unlock the untapped potential of trade and investment between Pakistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands through greater collaboration in innovation, technology transfer, value addition and sustainable economic development.
The seminar, titled “Enhancing Bilateral Trade between Pakistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” brought together members of the business community and government representatives to explore new avenues of bilateral cooperation.
Welcoming the participants, ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood said the Netherlands, as one of Europe’s leading hubs for trade, logistics, agriculture, innovation, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, offers significant opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan.
He said Pakistan highly values its longstanding friendship with the Netherlands and believes the existing economic relationship can be elevated to new heights through diversified trade, joint ventures, increased Dutch investment and technology transfer.
Highlighting Pakistan’s investment potential, he pointed to the country’s strategic location, a market of more than 240 million people, a young and skilled workforce, a growing information technology sector, competitive manufacturing base and strong agricultural industry.
He identified agriculture and agri-technology, horticulture, dairy and livestock, food processing, value-added textiles, information technology, renewable energy, logistics, healthcare, education and water resource management as key sectors for enhanced bilateral collaboration.
Addressing the seminar, Alexander Akerboom, First Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said Pakistan and the Netherlands already enjoy a strong trade and investment relationship, with the Netherlands being Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner within the European Union after Germany.
He noted that the European Union remains one of Pakistan’s largest export markets and said the GSP+ trade facility has significantly contributed to expanding Pakistan’s exports, creating employment opportunities and increasing the visibility of Pakistani products in European markets.
Akerboom said that despite strong bilateral ties, substantial opportunities remain untapped. He encouraged Pakistani businesses to focus on exporting value-added textile products, noting that European consumers have greater demand for high-quality finished goods than raw materials or semi-finished products.
He also highlighted agriculture, water management, climate-smart technologies and information technology as priority sectors for future cooperation, saying Dutch expertise in smart seeds, efficient irrigation systems and modern water management could help Pakistan improve agricultural productivity and address the growing challenges of climate change.
Praising the quality of Pakistani agricultural produce, Akerboom described Pakistani mangoes as the best he had tasted anywhere in the world. He also cited footballs manufactured in Pakistan as an outstanding example of the country’s manufacturing excellence and growing international reputation.
He expressed confidence that stronger business-to-business linkages, innovation, value addition and sustained collaboration would further strengthen the economic partnership between Pakistan and the Netherlands.
ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub moderated the session, highlighting the resilience, hard work and determination of the Dutch people.
The seminar concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, during which participants discussed measures to expand bilateral trade, facilitate investment, improve market access, enhance regulatory cooperation and strengthen institutional linkages between the business communities of both countries.
Among those present were ICCI Vice President Irfan Chaudhry, Executive Members Waseem Chaudhry and Zulqurnain Abbasi, former Senior Vice President Khalid Chaudhry, senior members Sajid Iqbal, Mudassar Malik and Nadeem Mansoor, along with other members of the business community.
