FPCCI Seeks Government Facilitation To Retain GSP+ Access To EU Markets Beyond 2029
Published September 09, 2026 | 08:50 PM
KARACHI, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 9th Sep, 2026)
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), hailing the role of the European Union’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) in boosting Pakistan’s exports, on Wednesday said that the GSP+ status helped doubling Pakistani exports to the EU over the last decade.
President FPCCI, Atif Ikram Sheikh, in a statement issued here, highlighted that the GSP+ status has driven an impressive 108% growth in Pakistani exports to the EU over the last decade, which served as a critical lifeline for the national economy.
The GSP+ framework has allowed a vast majority of Pakistani products to enter the European market at zero or preferential tariff rates, he said and expressed appreciation to the EU and its mission in Pakistan for their continued cooperation.
Atif Ikram highlighted the strategic partnership between Pakistan and the EU, noting that the European Union has proven to be an invaluable economic ally. “GSP+ provides the business community with a much-needed major export market and an opportunity to diversify beyond traditional textiles,” he added.
With the GSP+ framework evolving and international compliance requirements expanding, the FPCCI president proposed enhanced government facilitation and awareness to ensure that the business community can continue to incrementally benefit from this preferential status in the EU and remain competitive globally as well.
Emphasizing the need for dedicated government-industry task forces to help businesses, especially SMEs, understand and implement the EU’s core conventions on labor and human rights, environmental standards and good governance, Atif Ikram also stressed on improving the ease of doing business and targeted policy incentives to help textile and other major sectors of the economy penetrate the European market at an expanded and sustainable scale.
“The transitionary period till December 2028 is a window of opportunity, not a time for complacency; and, the government must hold our hand during this transitionary phase,” he stated, urging that structural reforms, competitive energy pricing, and proactive compliance support were required to retain the tirelessly built market access.
