A 22-member delegation of US investment companies, led by Muhammad Hanif Channa, Minister for Trade and Investment at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C., attends the session
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 1st, 2026) Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Chaudhry Shafay Hussain has invited American investors to establish manufacturing plants for modern agricultural machinery in the province, assuring them of all possible support and facilities.
He made the remarks while chairing a special briefing session on investment opportunities in Punjab, organised by the Punjab board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) at a local hotel.
A 22-member delegation of US investment companies, led by Muhammad Hanif Channa, Minister for Trade and Investment at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C., attended the session.
A four-member delegation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) also participated.
Chairperson PBIT Muntaha Ashraf, secretaries of industries and agriculture, industrialists and senior officials from various departments were also present. Officials briefed the participants on investment opportunities in agriculture, energy, minerals and other sectors.
Addressing the gathering, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain said Punjab offered a favourable environment and significant opportunities for investment across multiple sectors.
He said the province’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) had modern industrial infrastructure and offered incentives to investors.
The minister highlighted the considerable potential for strengthening economic cooperation between Pakistan, particularly Punjab, and the United States. He said joint working groups would be established to enhance economic ties and reduce the trade gap between Punjab and the US.
Hussain said the Punjab government was placing special emphasis on promoting modern agriculture. He noted that Punjab and the United States could cooperate in the production of modern agricultural machinery, soybean cultivation and seed development.
He added that Punjab was keen to benefit from American expertise and experience in modern agricultural practices.
The minister urged US investors to establish modern agricultural machinery manufacturing plants in Punjab’s Special Economic Zones, assuring them that the provincial government would provide every possible facility.
He also highlighted Punjab’s growing surgical industry, saying around 90 percent of the surgical instruments manufactured in the province were exported to the United States and Canada. In view of the sector’s expansion, he said a Surgical City was being established in Sialkot.
He said a new industrial estate was also being developed in Quaidabad to promote value addition in pink salt.
According to the minister, several electric motorcycle assembly plants are already operating in Punjab’s industrial centres, while a number of Chinese companies are establishing lithium battery manufacturing facilities.
Hussain said the textile sector remained a key pillar of Pakistan’s economy. To further develop the industry, the Punjab government had established a state-of-the-art Garment City at the Quaid-e-Azam business Park in Sheikhupura.
He encouraged companies from Punjab and the United States to explore opportunities for greater cooperation in the textile sector.
The minister stressed that the time had come to narrow the existing trade gap between Punjab and the United States, saying both sides would have to work together to achieve this objective.
The American investors appreciated Punjab’s investment-friendly environment and expressed interest in benefiting from the investment potential available across various sectors of the province.
The US delegation included TRG International President Hasnain Aslam, Mineral Alliance’s Nicole Logers, Tandem Defence Director Jessica Laikoz and other senior representatives.
