Martin Bienz, The Consul General of Switzerland
 

Bilateral Trade between Switzerland and Pakistan

The level of bilateral trade between Switzerland and Pakistan is around 400 million SF annually.  Swiss exports to Pakistan are 330 million SF and consist mainly, machinery, pharmaceutical, chemicals and watches.  In textile machines Switzerland has the fourth largest market share despite the difficult textile situation in Pakistan. This I believe is quite remarkable because many cheaper alternatives are available for Pakistan’s textile industry.  This clearly shows that our customers value the high quality and after sales service of Swiss machinery.  Swiss chemicals are also widely used by Pakistan’s textile industry and some of the key Swiss companies like Clariant have their own production plants in Pakistan.  Many Swiss textile machinery manufacturers participate in exhibitions like Textile Asia and IGATEX.  I visited Textile Asia exhibition last year and was very pleased to note a very strong participation of Swiss textile machinery manufacturers.   Many of them will be participating this year also at the Textile Asia exhibition with their local representatives. 

I think there is a very interesting interlink between Switzerland and Pakistan in the business of textiles.  Switzerland provides quality machinery and chemicals to Pakistan’s textile industry to produce quality textile products which are consumed by the Swiss and European buyers.  In 2006 Swiss imports of Pakistani textile products increased by 23%  while in 2007 again an increase of 8% was registered.  This increase is significant in view of the difficult competition Pakistan is facing these days from other textile producing countries.

Demands of Swiss consumers and possibilities for Pakistan’s textile industry

European and particularly Swiss consumers are very quality oriented.  It is very important to understand the market and the trends of the consumer in Europe for anyone wanting to export there.  Also one has to be innovative by developing new materials and designs. I believe there are a lot of creative people in Pakistan who can cater to these special requirements.  At this point I must say that proper marketing is absolutely crucial to succeed in Switzerland.  You have to sell the brands made in Pakistan and show them to the consumers through different fairs in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe.  It is also to keep track of trends like organic products which is a highly lucrative sector not only in food and agricultural products but also in textiles. 

Strengths of Swiss Companies

Switzerland is a country with limited natural resources like oil or minerals.  That is why we have established a certain niche in the world.  Its different components include:

1. The Tourism Industry as our mountains and lakes are world renown for their natural beauty and recreational activities.

2. The Swiss service industry primarily financial services like banking and insurance serve a global clientele. 

3. However, the pillar of our economy is certainly the industrial sector.  We do not have big factories for mass production like automobiles, but our industry’s focus is strict adherence to quality and precision and long term commitment to their customers.  I conducted a survey in Pakistan of leading representatives of Swiss companies and was surprised to find that many of these Pakistani companies have been representing Swiss companies for many generations.  This shows the type of relationship that is established between the Swiss companies and their global partners which is equally true for Pakistan.

Experience of Pakistan.

I have been in Pakistan since May 2006 and I must say that my experience has been very positive both on a personal and professional level. On a personal level I am greatly impressed with the hospitality of people of Pakistan and on a professional level I find it satisfying that a lot of interaction is going on between Swiss and Pakistani companies related to trade and investment.