Page 11 - CMA Journal (Sep-Oct 2025)

EXCLUSIVE
E x c lus iv e I nt er v iew
INTERVIEW
“ the United States.
Pakistan has always remained
compliant with the WTO rules but can use
available flexibilities to support industrial
growth. Pakistan can use a combination of
subsidies and tariff tools to support
industrial development
H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain
“
Ambassador and Permanent
Representative of Pakistan to the World
Trade Organization (WTO) - Geneva
ICMA: How can Pakistan's tari reforms
revive industries while staying aligned with
WTO rules?
H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: Pakistan has always
remained compliant with WTO rules but can use
available exibilities to support industrial
growth. The country can employ a combination
of subsidies and tari tools to support industrial
development. This can include reducing the
cost of inputs by lowering tari s and providing
calibrated and time-bound protection for
strategically selected industries by utilizing the
“water” (the gap between bound and currently
applied tari s). Competitiveness can be further
supported by providing export subsidies to
priority industries, which are currently allowed
only to certain developing countries, including
Pakistan, under WTO rules.
ICMA’s Chartered Management Accountant, Sep-Oct 2025 9
Pakistan’s agricultural interests are represented by the
Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) and the
Agriculture Counsellor, in line with the national stance
developed through stakeholder consultations.
ICMA: How has Pakistan's WTO Mission contributed
to addressing recent U.S. reciprocal tari s?
H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: The Mission has actively been
working by providing detailed technical and legal input,
along with policy options, for the government’s
consideration in addressing reciprocal tari s imposed by
ICMA: What steps can Pakistan take at the WTO to
boost export opportunities for key industries? Fourth, we need to look at unexplored opportunities. For Pakistani exports are subject to the same tari s as those
example, Pakistan is pursuing enhanced market access
from its competitive economies. While 72% of global
H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: First, we need to ensure fair for its services sector under Mode 4 in developed trade still operates under the MFN rule, progress in
market access, in line with the Most Favoured Nation
ICMA: What role does Pakistan's WTO Mission play in (MFN) obligations and WTO rules. We do so by raising markets, creating much needed employment reducing bound tari rates has stalled due to a lack of
consensus among WTO members. Meanwhile, the
opportunities abroad.
shaping trade policies and supporting industrial speci c trade concerns or even disputes in case of any growing trend of bilateral and regional trade agreements
growth? MFN violations or inconsistent non-tari measures. Fifth, we need to be active in emerging issues of our time allows many of Pakistan’s competitors to gain
H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: This Mission plays a vital role in Second, we must help the industry produce quality to ensure that rules which restrict our access are not preferential access to major markets, putting Pakistan at
aligning our trade policy with the multilateral trading products by meeting global standards. For this developed. In this e ort, we remain actively engaged in a disadvantage. To address this challenge, Pakistan is
WTO discussions on digital trade and emerging
system while safeguarding the country’s economic and purpose, we arrange technical support for regulatory technologies, including Arti cial Intelligence, to ensure actively pursuing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with its
key trading partners at the bilateral level, following
strategic interests. We provide legal and technical input agencies to build their capacity so they can enforce that developing countries retain exibility in shaping inclusive consultations with stakeholders, to secure
for trade policy decisions, report policy measures
international standards.
their regulatory frameworks for their development.
through noti cations, facilitate technical assistance and Third, we have to work to ensure that standards are competitive market access.
capacity-building support, and represent Pakistan in
th
trade disputes. We also assist in trade remedial measures, not used adversely as protective measures. For ICMA: How can WTO discussions on agriculture ICMA: What outcomes at the 14 WTO Ministerial
strengthen Pakistan’s agro-based industries?
such as anti-dumping, to protect domestic industries example, to safeguard existing market access, Pakistan Conference in March 2026 would most bene t
from unfair trade practices. has been raising concerns over Trade Related H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: The current negotiations on Pakistan’s economy?
Environmental Measures which constitute emerging agriculture mainly aim to provide additional exibilities H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: The 14 WTO Ministerial
th
Moreover, the Mission, in consultation with national
stakeholders, develops proposal papers for negotiations non-tari barriers. for developing countries in areas such as public Conference is expected to be challenging due to rising
on key priority areas and attempts to build consensus on stockholding and safeguard measures in response to global trade tensions and di ering priorities among
these proposals to advance Pakistan’s national interests. import surges to ensure both food security and members. Despite this, several potential outcomes could
For example, we are actively working to secure greater livelihood security. These exibilities would help signi cantly bene t Pakistan’s economy. These include
policy exibility to strengthen resilience against crises Pakistan and other developing countries strengthen decisions aimed at strengthening food security and rural
such as oods, and to establish a global discipline to their farm and livestock sectors. Moreover, the ongoing livelihoods, and providing greater policy exibility to
reduce the cost of inward remittances below 3 percent. negotiations seek commitments from members that respond to natural disasters. Other key outcomes could
provide high levels of domestic support to reduce involve reducing the cost of remittance transfer,
ICMA: How do you balance Pakistan's agricultural trade-distorting subsidies and simplify tari structures. A improving market access for services, enhancing
positive outcome of these negotiations would create technical assistance for developing countries, and
needs with global trade obligations as WTO fairer and more open international markets for Pakistan’s increasing exibility in intellectual property rules to
Agriculture Chair? agro processed products. promote innovation and technology transfer.
H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: The Committee on Agriculture
Special Sessions (CoA SS) is mandated to negotiate further ICMA: What challenges does Pakistan face at the WTO
disciplines on agriculture. An ambassador from Pakistan in achieving fairer tari s? The Editorial Board thanks H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain, Ambassador
has been elected as the Chair of this negotiation and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) – Geneva for sparing his precious time to give
committee for the rst time in the WTO. As the Chair works H.E. Ali Sarfraz Hussain: The WTO’s Most Favoured an exclusive interview for Chartered Management Accountant Journal.
in a personal capacity, I am expected to maintain Nation (MFN) principle requires members to apply
uniform tari rates to all trading partners, meaning
neutrality and facilitate constructive negotiations to help
members reach consensus on new disciplines. Meanwhile,