By Zafar Hussain

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (China Economic Net)- Pakistan's exports of dental instruments and appliances to China grew by 4% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, reaching $2 million, according to trade data from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC). This marks a steady increase from $1.93 million during the same period last year.

According to the data, shipments totaled 205,840 kilograms, highlighting Pakistan’s competitive edge with an average price of $0.47 per kilogram - among the most cost-efficient in the market. The growth reflects broader momentum in bilateral medical trade, with Pakistan’s overall exports of medical and surgical instruments to China reaching $5.56 million, alongside veterinary instruments ($3.24 million) and ophthalmic equipment ($155,465).

Ghulam Qadir, Trade and Investment Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, said the uptick is partly driven by millions of dollars in strategic partnerships formalized between Pakistani and Chinese firms in January 2025. These agreements, facilitated through Beijing’s B2B medical conferences, prioritized tariff reductions of 3%-5% under the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement and enhanced supply chain integration.

Experts believe that Pakistan’s Sialkot manufacturing hub - ranked as the world’s fifth-largest medical equipment center - leveraged its low production costs and EU-standard compliance to meet China’s demand for high-volume consumables. Ambassador Khalil Hashmi emphasized Pakistan’s “strategic connectivity and raw material reserves” as pivotal to sustaining this growth.

It is worth noting that the HEALTH ASIA 2025 expo in Karachi (October 23–25) will serve as a crucial platform for Pakistani manufacturers to engage more than 500 Asian buyers and explore joint ventures in high-value niches.