Pakistan has officially entered the Chinese donkey meat market with its first-ever export shipment, marking a significant milestone for the country’s livestock and agricultural trade. The inaugural consignment was produced at the Gwadar Free Zone, successfully cleared customs at Tianjin Port, and has now entered the Chinese market, according to a statement from Hengeng Trading Enterprise.
Company officials described the shipment as the first food product manufactured in the Gwadar Free Zone to be exported to China. They acknowledged the support of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the CPEC Authority, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal for facilitating the project and helping bring it to completion.
The export of donkey meat is viewed as an important achievement under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which focuses on industrial cooperation, agriculture, and value-added exports. Officials believe the development highlights the growing economic partnership between Pakistan and China while creating new opportunities for the country’s livestock sector.
The shipment follows years of regulatory work between the two countries. In 2024, Pakistan and China finalized export protocols covering donkey meat and donkey hides. Pakistan later revised its export policy, allowing approved slaughterhouses operating within the Gwadar Free Zone to process and export these products. Hengeng Trading Enterprise subsequently secured all required quarantine certifications and customs approvals from both Pakistani authorities and China’s General Administration of Customs before commencing exports.
The Chinese company has invested approximately $50 million in establishing a modern slaughterhouse in the Gwadar North Free Zone dedicated to processing donkey meat and hides for international markets. The project is expected to generate employment, encourage foreign investment, and support Pakistan’s efforts to expand value-added livestock exports.
China remains one of the world’s largest importers of donkey meat and donkey hides, with hides widely used to produce Ejiao, a traditional medicinal product. Pakistani officials believe this new export channel will strengthen bilateral agricultural trade, diversify export opportunities, and contribute to long-term economic growth under CPEC.
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