Pakistan is seeking to expand its mobile manufacturing base by attracting Apple, with the EDB confirming ongoing talks and efforts for a high-level meeting in the US.
The Pakistani government has stepped up efforts to bring Apple into the country’s mobile phone manufacturing sector, with the Engineering Development Board (EDB) confirming that negotiations with the technology giant are underway.
The development was discussed during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, where lawmakers questioned Apple’s absence from Pakistan’s growing mobile manufacturing industry.
EDB CEO Hammad Mansoor told the committee that discussions with Apple are continuing. He also said efforts are underway to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Apple CEO John Ternus during the prime minister’s upcoming visit to the United States.
Ternus became Apple’s chief executive on Sept. 1, succeeding Tim Cook, who moved to the position of executive chairman after 15 years as the company’s CEO.
Mansoor said Apple has already established a retail presence in Pakistan and expressed optimism that the company could eventually move toward manufacturing operations in the country. However, he did not provide a timeline for any potential investment or production start.
Officials told the committee that 37 companies are currently manufacturing mobile phones in Pakistan and have produced more than 35 million handsets locally to date. Apart from Apple, nearly all major global smartphone brands have established production or assembly operations in the country, according to officials.
Pakistan’s mobile phone assembly industry has expanded significantly since 2020, supported by government policies aimed at encouraging local production and reducing reliance on fully built imported handsets.
The committee directed the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to provide detailed information on Apple’s potential entry into Pakistan at its next meeting. It also instructed the relevant authorities to continue efforts to attract the company.
The government had outlined a similar initiative earlier this year. In February, the EDB presented a proposed Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Framework that included incentives sought by Apple, including discounted land and permission to refurbish two- to three-year-old iPhones for re-export before potentially moving toward full-scale manufacturing.
The proposed framework also increased the performance incentive for manufacturers from 6% to 8% and projected $100 million in first-year re-export revenue from refurbished devices.
Despite the February proposal, officials have yet to announce a signed agreement with Apple or a confirmed date for manufacturing operations in Pakistan.
The committee also discussed the possibility of allowing consumers to pay taxes and duties on imported mobile phones in installments. A PTA representative clarified that the authority does not determine mobile phone tax structures, as taxation matters fall under the Federal Board of Revenue.
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