Amman: Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and the Pakistani Ambassador to Jordan, Khurram Sarfraz Khan, have agreed to reinstate the Jordanian-Pakistani Joint Business Council, originally established in 2006, with plans to officially re-launch it. This move is aimed at strengthening partnerships between businesspeople from both countries and increasing mutual trade and investment.
According to Jordan News Agency, the agreement was reached during a meeting held at the JCC headquarters between Senator Khalil Haj Tawfiq, Chairman of the JCC, and Ambassador Khan. The discussions centered on enhancing bilateral economic, trade, and investment relations and exploring mechanisms to develop cooperation between the Jordanian and Pakistani business communities.
Haj Tawfiq emphasized the importance of leveraging the existing political relations between the two countries to elevate economic and trade ties. He noted the potential for strengthening cooperation between the private sectors of both nations and called for enhanced communication between private sector institutions and chambers of commerce. This could be achieved through exchanging trade delegations and organizing expert business meetings and economic forums.
Despite the growth in Jordanian exports to Pakistan, which increased to JD13 million in 2025 from approximately JD7 million in 2024, Haj Tawfiq remarked that trade relations between the two countries still fall short of expectations. He highlighted the need to capitalize on bilateral trade opportunities to boost trade exchange volume. This could involve increasing Jordanian exports of fertilizers, phosphates, chemical products, and food and agricultural products while leveraging Pakistan's export strengths in rice, sesame, textiles, and apparel.
Ambassador Khan reiterated the strong Jordanian-Pakistani relations, emphasizing the significance of King Abdullah II's recent visit to Pakistan in strengthening bilateral ties. He expressed his focus on developing economic relations to match the level of political ties and highlighted significant cooperation opportunities in sectors such as food industries, textiles, tourism, and services.
A virtual meeting is scheduled next week with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) to finalize arrangements for reactivating the Jordanian-Pakistani Business Council. This step aims to strengthen the council's role in building partnerships between the business communities of both nations.
The meeting also stressed the importance of organizing direct sectoral talks between Jordanian and Pakistani companies and the exchange of economic and trade information, which could contribute to increasing trade and investment volumes and opening new avenues for joint cooperation.