Pakistan targets $2.5 billion in mobile, IT equipment exports under new policy

Pakistan aims to generate $2.528 billion in cumulative mobile and IT equipment exports by 2033 under its newly launched Mobile and Electronic Devices Manufacturing Policy 2026-33, officials said Monday. The government plans to export 21.66 million units over seven years, reaching 5.25 million units annually by fiscal year 2032-33. At the center of the export push is a self-financing Technology Investment Fund (TIF), which will collect an estimated $221 million — equivalent to PKR 61.89 billion — through a 0-6% levy on CKD and Completely Built Unit (CBU) imports. About $200 million will be redistributed as export-linked rebates under a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Officials say the structure is designed to offset Pakistan’s 8.36% cost disadvantage against China while avoiding direct budgetary pressure. The policy also proposes a refurbishment re-export regime within Export Processing Zones, allowing imported used devices to be refurbished and re-exported to African, Gulf, CIS and Turkish markets. The government estimates this pathway alone could generate $300–400 million annually by leveraging existing installed capacity of 40 million units. However, export ambitions face a major bottleneck: Pakistan currently lacks internationally accredited testing laboratories required for CE, FCC and RoHS certification. Four national labs are planned, but certification capacity is not expected before fiscal year 2027-28. Without internationally recognized product certification, Pakistani-made devices cannot legally enter high-value regulated markets in Europe and North America. Officials say export quotas of at least 10% of import volumes will be required from OEMs, with formal export plans mandatory for participation in the incentive scheme.