Karachi(1) / Pakistan

Karachi is Pakistan's largest city. It is also the only port city in Pakistan that provides shipping and logistic facilities for imports and exports not just for local business but for neighboring land-locked countries as well.

Marubeni's Karachi liaison office is in the city center and was established in November 1956. It has 47 members of staff (of whom 4 are Japanese). The Karachi Office also has two sub offices in Pakistan, located in Islamabad and Lahore.

Marubeni has made a significant contribution to the development of Pakistan's infrastructure, such as power generation, railways, communication, public health, education and the construction of roads. Marubeni also assists in the growth of local industry, through trading.

Today Marubeni is best known for exporting cotton yarn, fabric and petroleum products, and importing textile machinery, metals, petroleum products, chemicals, plastics and tires. Marubeni's latest achievement in Pakistan was the successful completion of a US$800 million oil refinery near Multan.

I, Gulfraz Khan, joined the Karachi Office's metals and petroleum business development team in December 1983. Since then, my prime objective has been to focus on the business opportunities available within the context of Pakistan's constantly changing economic and industrial policies. I am proud to have the cooperation and guidance of the management and principal overseas offices. This has enabled me to establish strongly founded relationships with customers in various fields, to whom Marubeni is supplying industrial raw materials on a long-term basis.

The Karachi Office's metal department has become one of Japan's most successful trading houses by securing long-term contracts with conglomerates such as Siemens Pakistan to whom electrical steel is being supplied from Kawasaki Japan. In Pakistan's oil and gas sector, we have developed the customers' taste for Japanese high-grade hot rolled coils, to transmit natural gas from gas fields to the major distribution centers. This was the first time in recent history that a contract for more than 50,000 metric tons of American Petroleum Institute (API) grade H.R. coils was secured from Nippon Steel Corporation for major pipe mills. The Karachi Office even plays an important role in the field of non-ferrous metals, by supplying copper cathodes to copper rod manufacturers and copper tubes to home appliances manufacturers.

While in the energy sector, I have been able to play an instrumental role in channeling the supply of petroleum products that Pakistan lacks, as well as organizing the export of surplus petroleum products (such as Naphtha) from Pakistan.

To keep abreast of developments, and in order to maximize by professional contribution to the company, I have been cooperating with commercial and public sector organizations in the process of policy making and planning. This has not only helped to promote Marubeni's business, but has also increased its profitability.

View of the Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan) Building where the Marubeni Karachi Office is located (2nd floor)

November 1956

Main Businesses and Products:

Textiles (cotton yarn and cotton fabrics), petroleum, machinery, metals, chemicals and tires

Businessg Areas:

Pakistan, Japan, Far East, China and Europe

Employees:

58, of whom 5 are Japanese (in three offices-Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad-as of September 2002)