Eleven Pakistani food and beverage enterprises are presenting a diverse portfolio of premium products at SIAL Shanghai 2025, Asia’s leading food industry exhibition, from 19–21 May. The initiative aims to leverage surging Chinese consumer demand under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). Occupying a dedicated pavilion organized by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Pakistan’s Consulate General in Shanghai, participants are displaying 20 product categories, such as rice, sesame seeds, corn, dried fruits, pasta, fruit concentrates, and halal-certified dairy goods.
Spanning 200,000 square meters, the three-day expo has attracted 5,000 exhibitors from 75 nations, showcasing over 350,000 food products. Shehzad Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s Consul General in Shanghai, emphasized the nation’s expanding influence in the global food market, citing a 13.83% year-on-year surge in food exports to $3.959 billion during the first half of fiscal year 2024–25 (July–December 2024), as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
Khan underscored the CPFTA’s role in strengthening bilateral food trade, stating, “Pakistan’s exports to China—including rice, seafood, sesame seeds, boiled beef, spices, dried fruits, and processed foods—have grown substantially.” He added, “Chinese investments in Pakistan’s food processing and agricultural technology are increasing, prioritizing modernization of production, packaging, and halal certification to align with China’s market requirements.”
At the Pakistan Pavilion, Usman Akram, representing Pure Foods Ltd., noted enthusiastic responses to the company’s tropical fruit-based offerings. “We’ve secured initial orders for our mango nectars,” Akram revealed. “Chinese distributors appreciate our preservative-free concentrates, which resonate with their preference for natural ingredients.”
Abdullah Shahid of Tooba Rice Mills, a long-established rice supplier to China participating in the expo for the first time, expressed confidence in broadening market access. “Having exported rice to China for more than ten years, this event has connected us with new clients seeking both basmati and non-basmati varieties, as well as sesame seeds,” Shahid remarked. “We are engaging in meetings with current and prospective partners to solidify our market position in the coming years,” he added.
