Pakistan has reaffirmed its target of achieving $100 billion in annual exports by 2035, with the government identifying information and communication technology (ICT) services, artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation among the areas that could contribute to export diversification. Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan outlined the target while addressing the closing ceremony of the 39th Annual General Meeting and International Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), organised by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). The two-day conference focused on strategies for building an export-oriented economy, with policymakers, economists, researchers and business representatives discussing measures to improve productivity, market access and industrial competitiveness. The government has also set a medium-term export target of $60 billion as part of its longer-term plan.
Technology and digital trade systems were highlighted as potential contributors to Pakistan’s export expansion. Rana Ihsaan identified AI and ICT services among the areas with potential to diversify the country’s export base alongside agriculture, minerals, tourism, the blue economy and creative industries. Pakistan’s technology companies can serve international markets through software development, IT-enabled services and other digital products, while AI adoption could support productivity and the development of new services. However, reaching the export target will require improvements in workforce skills, product quality, innovation and access to international customers. The government’s stated priorities indicate that technology exports are expected to form part of a wider strategy rather than operate separately from industrial and agricultural development.
The government also highlighted Pakistan Single Window as a digital platform supporting trade-related processes. According to Rana Ihsaan, the system connects more than 108,000 traders with 32 government agencies, helping coordinate procedures involved in importing and exporting goods. Digital trade facilitation can reduce administrative friction by bringing relevant processes into a more connected system, although its broader impact depends on implementation, agency coordination and adoption by businesses. The government is also reviewing around 500 regulatory requirements and pursuing changes intended to reduce unnecessary certification and inspection procedures. Other proposed measures include tariff rationalisation under the National Tariff Policy 2025–30, a Trade Facilitation Board to improve coordination and reduce port-related costs, and efforts to increase financing for small and medium-sized enterprises from Rs1 trillion to Rs2 trillion.
International market access and private-sector participation will also be important to the export strategy. Rana Ihsaan referred to Pakistan’s engagement with trading partners, the European Union’s GSP Plus arrangement and trade initiatives involving countries in Asia and Africa. He also highlighted opportunities created by sanitary and phytosanitary protocols with China for agricultural exports, alongside international business linkages supported by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. The government has reduced tax collection on export proceeds from 2% to 1.25% in the 2026–27 federal budget, according to the address, while exporters can access financing arrangements involving EXIM Bank and commercial banks. The $100 billion target remains a long-term policy objective, and its achievement will depend on sustained implementation, export diversification, improved productivity and the ability of Pakistani businesses including technology firms to compete in international markets.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
