Pakistan To Begin Trial Vehicle Exports To Bangladesh This Month: 100 MG-SAIC Units Shipped As First Step Toward 5,000-Vehicle Deal
According to ProPakistani, Pakistan is set to begin trial exports of locally assembled vehicles to Bangladesh this month, marking the country’s first meaningful step toward sustainable automotive exports under a memorandum of understanding signed in July between a Pakistani automaker and a Bangladeshi business group.
Under the initial arrangement, 100 vehicles will be shipped on a trial basis in 2026, starting in September, with larger-scale commercial exports of up to 5,000 vehicles planned for the following year. Two models of vehicles assembled in Pakistan in partnership with SAIC Motor China, which were previously exported to Bangladesh directly from China as completely-built-up units, will now be shipped from Pakistan in completely-knocked-down form.
The shift from CBU to CKD is commercially significant for both sides. For the Bangladeshi distributor, importing in knocked-down form reduces applicable import duties. For Pakistan, it creates an opportunity to develop a sustainable automotive export business rather than acting merely as a tariff-processing intermediary. MG Pakistan CEO Jiang Qiang Shao, who secured support from SAIC Motor’s headquarters to facilitate the model switch, said Pakistan’s cost advantages and skilled workforce position it well to expand exports over time. A Pakistani engineering team will travel to Bangladesh to provide assembly, quality control and technical guidance on-site.
If the trial succeeds, this would make MG Pakistan the first brand in the country to establish a repeatable automotive export channel; extending beyond vehicles to technology and engineering services.
Pakistan has tried to export vehicles for years. This is the first time the business model behind the attempt actually makes commercial sense.
Check out our previous coverage of Pakistan’s automotive sector on The Trusted Times.
