Access to Foreign Markets: Insights from the Pak-China FTA
March 11, 2026
Trade agreements are often expected to boost industrial growth and export competitiveness. Pakistan’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China aimed to expand market access and strengthen the productivity of domestic firms.
However, firm-level evidence from Pakistan’s textile manufacturing sector suggests that the short-term outcomes were more modest.
What the Data Shows
Using data from the Census of Manufacturing Industries (CMI) for Punjab (2000, 2005, and 2010), the study analyzes how textile firms responded before and after the FTA.
Labels: FTA, Lahore School, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing Sector, Pakistan, Research, Trade
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/11/2026 03:12:00 PM,
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