By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE – Acting President Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh has called for expanding economic cooperation between Pakistan and the Netherlands through increased business exchanges, joint ventures and investment partnerships, saying bilateral trade has significant potential to grow from its current level to US$5 billion.
He made these remarks during a meeting with Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Hajo Provo Kluit, who visited the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry along with Senior Economic Advisor Ms. Maria Erfan.
Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh said the visit reflected the growing importance of Pakistan-Netherlands economic relations and highlighted the role of private-sector engagement in promoting trade, investment and sustainable business partnerships.
He said LCCI, being one of Pakistan’s oldest and largest business organizations with more than 48,000 members from diverse sectors, provides an effective platform for connecting foreign investors with reliable Pakistani businesses.
“Pakistan values its longstanding friendship with the Netherlands and appreciates Dutch cooperation in key sectors including agriculture, dairy, water management, logistics, renewable energy and sustainable development,” Tanveer said.
He noted that according to the State Bank of Pakistan, bilateral trade between Pakistan and the Netherlands reached around US$1.9 billion during 2025-26. Pakistan’s exports to the Netherlands stood at approximately US$1.44 billion, while imports from the Netherlands were recorded at around US$505 million.
The LCCI Acting President said the existing trade volume could be substantially enhanced through greater cooperation, diversification of exports and stronger business-to-business linkages.
He highlighted that Pakistan’s major exports to the Netherlands include home textiles, hosiery, woven fabrics and rice, while imports mainly comprise petroleum products, malt extracts, iron and steel scrap, medical equipment and dairy products.
Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh said Pakistan has considerable potential to increase exports of value-added products, including garments, knitwear, denim, leather goods, sports products, surgical instruments, furniture, processed food, halal meat, seafood, software and information technology services.
He invited Dutch companies to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly in Special Economic Zones, Export Processing Zones and industrial estates, which offer incentives and access to a young and skilled workforce.
He said improving macroeconomic indicators, declining inflation and exchange rate stability were creating a more favorable environment for investment and long-term business partnerships.
Tanveer also emphasized the importance of cooperation in emerging sectors, including tourism, hospitality, vocational training, maritime services, shipbuilding, mining, food processing, cold storage, renewable energy and information technology.
He said Pakistan could greatly benefit from Dutch expertise in agriculture-related fields such as seed technology, greenhouse farming, dairy development and efficient water management.
The LCCI Acting President reaffirmed the chamber’s commitment to facilitating Dutch investors and strengthening business connections between the two countries. He called for regular trade delegations, participation in exhibitions and closer coordination between the Dutch Embassy and LCCI to identify new investment opportunities.
Speaking on the occasion, Hajo Provo Kluit appreciated the role of LCCI in promoting economic cooperation and said the chamber could serve as a valuable bridge between Pakistani businesses and Dutch investors.
He said LCCI’s extensive membership base and understanding of local markets could help Dutch companies identify suitable partners and explore new opportunities in Pakistan.
The Dutch diplomat said successful Dutch companies operating in Pakistan were not only large multinational corporations but also small and medium-sized family businesses that achieved success by developing strong partnerships with local enterprises.
He stressed that finding trustworthy local partners remained a key challenge for foreign investors and expressed confidence that LCCI could play an important role in addressing this gap.
He added that regular interaction between the Netherlands Embassy and LCCI would help further strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations.
The meeting was also attended by LCCI Executive Committee members Karamat Ali Awan, Sheikh Fayyaz, Ali Imran, Mohsin Bashir, Nadeem Ansari, Firdous Nisar and Amna Randhawa.
