Pakistan holds investment talks with world’s largest EV battery maker CATL

Pakistan is engaged in discussions with Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) over possible cooperation and investment in advanced battery manufacturing, Pakistan’s ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, said during a meeting with a Chinese business delegation at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to a news report.

Hashmi said the talks are part of Pakistan’s broader effort to attract Chinese industrial investment under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which has shifted focus from infrastructure and power projects toward manufacturing, technology transfer, industrial zones and agriculture.

According to a statement issued by the Karachi Chamber, the ambassador said Pakistan was encouraging CATL to explore investment and partnership opportunities in the country, adding that further progress could emerge during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to China.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, headquartered in China, is currently the world’s largest electric vehicle battery producer and supplies battery systems to global automakers including Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen and Ford Motor Company.

Hashmi said global battery markets were gradually moving beyond lithium-ion technology toward sodium-based batteries and noted that Pakistan possessed raw materials required for such industries.

He added that Islamabad was seeking to position itself early in the emerging battery manufacturing and energy storage supply chain as global demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems continues to grow.

He also said the government had introduced an implementation mechanism aimed at improving conversion of Chinese investment agreements into commercial projects, adding that nearly 30% of signed memorandums were now translating into contracts and operational ventures.