Pakistan clears donkey meat exports after Chinese firm warning

Karachi: Pakistan has approved the export of donkey meat to China after a Chinese company warned it could shut operations, prompting intervention by the prime minister’s office.

The dispute involves the Hangeng Trade Company operating in Gwadar, a port city central to China-backed projects, where export approvals had been delayed for months, raising questions about bureaucratic difficulties affecting foreign-backed projects in Pakistan.

The Pakistan government’s decision comes amid buzz about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China later this month for an investment forum.

Hangeng Trade Company runs a slaughterhouse exporting donkey meat and hides to China, where they are used to produce a traditional medicine that is usually marketed as a blood tonic and for skin-related issues.

Pakistan exports about 216,000 donkeys annually for meat and hides, mainly to China. The sector could generate around USD 300 million each year, according to government estimates.

On May 1, the company issued a public statement saying it was being forced to halt operations in Pakistan due to “non-market factors” and operational barriers. It further said it would be “compelled to shut down the factory” and informed employees of planned closures.

The company also warned other businesses to carefully assess policy execution gaps and institutional uncertainty before investing. It said its shipments had remained stalled despite meeting export standards, adding that it had been in contact with Pakistani authorities for three months without resolution.

The dispute centred on pending approvals from Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and the Animal Quarantine Department, which regulates livestock exports.

Officials said the approvals had been delayed for several months.

After the company’s statement, Tauqir Shah, an adviser to the prime minister, intervened and escalated the matter to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Officials said the Prime Minister’s Office stepped in on Friday, triggering a rapid approval process.

Pakistan’s cabinet cleared the export of donkey meat the following day, after which the Animal Quarantine Department issued the required permissions.

A senior official in the Cabinet Division said procedures had been followed, adding that decisions by the Economic Coordination Committee – a government body that reviews financial matters – are sometimes ratified in phases.

The official confirmed that the export summary was ratified on Friday.

Government officials also said the company had not fully met agreed conditions, including breeding standards required for international-quality exports.