Published: Oct 2, 2026
KARACHI, October 2, 2026: Pakistan is set to add 70,000 metric tons of rice exports to Malaysia from October to December as the two countries explore wider market access for meat, poultry, fisheries, fruits and other halal agricultural products
Rice exports point to wider Malaysia market
The additional rice exports follow recent Pakistani engagements in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian institutions responsible for rice procurement, agriculture and halal certification.
Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research Amer Ali Ahmed, Federal Secretary for Commerce Jawad Paul and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Syed Ahsan Raza Shah met officials from BERNAS, Malaysia’s national agency, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی ہدایت اور متعلقہ وزارتوں اور حکام کی کاوشوں سے ملائیشیا میں پاکستانی چاول کے برآمدات میں اضافہ، اکتوبر تا دسمبر 2026 ملائیشیا کیلئے پاکستانی چاول برآمدات میں مزید 70 ہزار میٹرک ٹن کا اضافہ.
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 2, 2026
پاکستانی چاول کے اضافی 70 ہزار میٹرک ٹن برآمدات کا حصول…
The September 27 discussions covered increased Pakistani exports, Malaysian quality requirements, halal certification and food-security cooperation. Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research documented the discussions.
The announcement of an additional 70,000 metric tons for export between October and December gives those discussions a specific commercial outcome.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said the additional exports were the result of efforts by the relevant ministries and officials and described the increase as a step forward for farmers and the national economy.
Malaysia already relies on imported rice
The additional Pakistani volume enters a substantial Malaysian rice-import market. Malaysia imported about 1.5 million tonnes of rice in 2024, while domestic rice production stood at about 1.4 million tonnes, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia. Rice imports increased 17% that year. Malaysia’s official rice statistics provide the underlying figures.
Pakistan has been seeking to expand its position in that market. In October 2024, Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry facilitated B2B meetings between 20 Pakistani agro-exporters and six Malaysian buyers, with expectations at the time of Malaysian procurement of 100,000 metric tons of rice. The Commerce Ministry’s 2024-25 Year Book records the meetings.
The latest 70,000-tonne addition follows that earlier effort to build Malaysian demand for Pakistani rice. The trade relationship also has an established institutional framework. Malaysia and Pakistan’s Closer Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in January 2008, covers trade in goods and services, investment and economic cooperation, including technical cooperation in areas such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry provides the agreement’s framework.
Composition of Pakistani Exports to Malaysia
Share of key exports in total trade value to Malaysia (%)
Beyond rice: Malaysia’s wider food import needs
The latest Kuala Lumpur discussions covered meat, poultry, fisheries and aquaculture, together with animal health and biosecurity issues. Halal standards, certification and supply chains were also discussed. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research outlined the areas discussed.
Malaysia’s own agricultural statistics show substantial import dependence in some of these areas. The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported import-dependency ratios of 90.7% for mutton and 82.6% for beef in 2025, while squid recorded an import-dependency ratio of 68%. Malaysia’s 2025 supply and utilization statistics provide the import-dependency figures.
Those figures do not represent Malaysian commitments to purchase from Pakistan. They indicate categories in which Malaysia continues to rely substantially on imports, while Pakistani officials are seeking wider agricultural market access.
Certification and supply chains will shape expansion
The current discussions also build on Pakistan’s earlier efforts to promote halal meat, rice, fruits and value-added agro-based products in Malaysia.
For exporters, the issue extends beyond production capacity to the requirements for entering the Malaysian market.
Rice exports must meet Malaysian quality requirements, while meat and other animal products involve additional considerations such as halal certification, animal-health controls, traceability and supply-chain capacity.
The Malaysia-Pakistan trade framework already provides an institutional channel for bilateral commerce, but individual products still have to meet the applicable market and regulatory requirements. Malaysia’s official FTA framework identifies sanitary and phytosanitary cooperation among the areas covered.
Political ties reinforce the economic track
The rice development comes as Pakistan and Malaysia are also reaffirming economic cooperation at the political level.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated their resolve to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly economic cooperation, during their telephone conversation. Pakistan’s Press Information Department reported the economic-cooperation commitment.
Pakistan – Malaysia Bilateral Trade Flow
Annual trade composition and primary driver commodities (USD Millions)
The call followed the September meetings in Kuala Lumpur, where Pakistani officials were working with Malaysian institutions on rice exports, halal certification and agricultural cooperation.
Measuring actual shipments
The additional 70,000 metric tons provides a clear number against which the latest Pakistan-Malaysia agricultural trade effort can be measured.
The October-to-December period will show how much of the announced volume is reflected in actual shipments and export values.
Subsequent trade data will also indicate whether discussions on meat, poultry, fisheries, fruits and other halal agricultural products begin producing commercial flows beyond rice.
