The fact that Australia and New Zealand have recognized and designated valuable long-grain basmati rice as a “Pakistani product” is a significant positive step for Pakistan in the field of trade and commerce.
The decision comes as Pakistan has fiercely opposed New Delhi’s demand for basmati rice to be given protected status in international markets as a distinctively Indian product, arguing that the rice is a part of the two nations’ common heritage.
After the European Union denied India’s request to view the Annexures included in Pakistan’s application for protected geographic indication (PGI), India filed a case with the European Court of Justice in December 2024.
