Pakistan’s salt exports to China jump by 33% in 2025

BEIJING: Pakistan’s exports of industrial salt to China increased markedly in the initial half of 2025, highlighting the strengthening trade relations between the two nations.

According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), industrial salt exports from Pakistan have surged, totalling $3.74 million between January and June 2025, marking a 33% raise compared to $2.84 million during the same period in 2024.

The total export volume approached 23.94 million kilograms, with an average unit price of $0.15 per kilogram.

When including all categories—edible, industrial, and other types—Pakistan’s total salt exports to China stood at $3.93 million in the first half of 2025, compared to $2.95 million in the same period of 2024, marking an overall increase of 33%.

This growth in salt trade is part of a broader trend in Pakistan-China bilateral commerce. From January to June 2025, Pakistan’s total exports to China reached $1.248 billion. Major export items included copper, cotton yarn, seafood, sesame seed, zinc ores, iron ores and concentrates (including roasted iron pyrites), as well as rice, according to CEN on Friday.

Muhammad Zeeshan, a Pakistani salt trader, attributed the steady rise in exports to improved logistics, favourable market access under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA), and increasing Chinese demand for Pakistani pink salt, particularly for industrial applications and as raw material.

He added that the growth in salt exports highlights Pakistan’s diversification of its export portfolio and indicates a positive trajectory for future bilateral trade cooperation, particularly in the salt sector.

Earlier, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain categorically dismissed reports of a sugar shortage due to exports and stated that there is a surplus of the commodity.

Addressing a presser, the minister said that the government has implemented a system to ensure sugar remains available at officially fixed prices.