The Pakistan Chemical Expo 2026 commenced on Friday, with industry leaders highlighting the sector’s potential to reduce import dependence and boost exports.

LCCI President Faheemur Rehman Sehgal said the chemical industry supplies raw materials to textiles, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, construction, packaging and automotive sectors, and has the potential to become globally competitive.

PCMA Chairman Haroon Ali Khan said the domestic chemical and petrochemical market is estimated at over $14 billion annually, with a significant portion of demand met through imports.

Through targeted industrial policies, technology transfer and a world-scale naphtha cracker and petrochemical complex, Pakistan can achieve approximately $5 billion in import substitution and generate more than $2 billion in additional exports within the next five years, he said.

“The chemical industry is the foundation upon which modern manufacturing economies are built. Every major industrial nation has invested heavily in petrochemicals because they serve as the backbone of industrial growth, innovation and exports,” Khan remarked.

Participants were told that development of an integrated petrochemical value chain could generate over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs and support downstream industrial output exceeding $50 billion.