SIALKOT: Almost 100 top international sports and leisurewear brands procure their products from the highly industrialised city of Sialkot, allowing the country to earn $2 billion foreign exchange annually, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Zahid Latif Malik said on Wednesday.

Addressing a meeting of exporters and trade bodies at the SCCI, Mr Malik said leading brands including Adidas, Nike, Select, Puma, Lotto, Fila, Umbro, Kappa, New Balance, Reebok and Under Armour are doing splendid business with Sialkot-based exporters.

“The products standards are of exceptional quality and are meant for markets of developed economies,” he said.

On the occasion, he sought proper government patronage including trade and export-related incentives for further increasing Sialkot’s exports.

Calling Sialkot-based exporters ‘roving ambassadors of Pakistan’, SCCI Senior Vice President Abdul Waheed said industrialists in the city were helping boost the country exports by producing quality goods.

SCCI Vice President Abid Ahmed Khawaja said Sialkot has successfully followed the examples of Japan, Germany, Korea, Taiwan and other countries in the development of SME culture.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2017