By our correspondent
LAHORE: The European Unions’ CBI consultant Jan Elferink has advised auto vendors of Pakistan to be well prepared before participating in Hanover fair to make a mark in the global automobile market.
He was addressing a seminar on participation in Hanover fair, organised jointly by the Engineering Development Board, CBI and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. Over 50 prospective exhibitors, who will take part in the German fair to be held from April 16-20, attended the seminar.
He said normally only those auto vendors were allowed to participate in the fair, who produced auto-parts for original equipment manufacturers in their country. He said this established the credentials of the vendors and they could then contact the buyers to produce parts for even those brands that they did not supply in their native country.
He said advanced knowledge of the market, a country and its culture gave added advantage to the fair participants. He said the participants should be aware of language prejudice if they planned to export their products to the French market. For this, he added, they should arrange interpreters in advance.
“Similarly, entering the Scandinavian market is difficult but once you make inroads the stay is longer,” he said. Chairman Engineering Development Board Imtiaz Rastgar, on the occasion, said the automobile industry of Pakistan had embarked on a sustainable growth path. He said a five-year auto-policy would give the investors in this sector more confidence. He hoped after consistent participation in Hanover fair and timely supplies of quality parts, “Pakistani vendors expect higher volumes of orders from foreign buyers this year.”