KARACHI: The recent visit of a 23-member delegation of Pakistani sesame exporters to Beijing and Handan, Hebei Province, marked a significant milestone in the evolving sesame trade relations between Pakistan and China.
Concluding on August 19, the delegation participated in the Pakistan-China B2B Sesame Conference held at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing. During the conference, an analyst from SCI Group delivered an in-depth analysis of sesame demand, supply trends, and price movements in China.
Nineteen major Chinese companies, including COFCO, Beijing Capital Agribusiness and Foods Group, Jingliang Holdings, Hebei Grain Group, and Zhuochuang Consulting Co., Ltd., were represented at the conference.
The event led to over 100 B2B meetings where Pakistani exporters engaged with Chinese firms eager to source sesame from Pakistan. These interactions fostered valuable discussions and laid the groundwork for potential collaborations.
On August 20, the delegation visited Daming County in Handan City, a critical center for sesame consumption in China, responsible for 20% of the country’s sesame imports, with an annual demand exceeding 200,000 MT. Although current imports primarily come from Ethiopia, Mozambique, India, and other nations, Pakistani sesame has yet to establish a significant presence. This visit was a crucial step in introducing Pakistani sesame to new importers and exploring opportunities for market expansion.
The delegation toured four leading sesame processing factories in Daming County: Jing Xinquan Sesame Oil, Wudelli Flour, Daming Fu Sesame Oil, and Taidu Group. A subsequent B2B seminar, organized by the Daming County government, facilitated discussions between Pakistani exporters and top Chinese companies.
Wang Pei of the Daming County government led the seminar, focusing on pricing, quality, quantity, and flavor preferences for Pakistani sesame. Conversations between the commercial counsellor, Pakistani exporters, and Chinese officials resulted in a preliminary agreement to develop a warehousing facility in Daming County’s industrial zone to support Pakistani sesame exports. This agreement underscores China’s commitment to increasing sesame imports from Pakistan.