Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile and Investment Abdul Razzaq Dawood said on Friday that e-commerce giant Amazon had added Pakistan to its sellers' list.

In a tweet announcing the development, he said: "It is a big accomplishment for our e-commerce and will open up vast opportunities for a new breed of young men and women entrepreneurs. We congratulate everyone involved."

The list of countries eligible to sell on the platform can be viewed here. It has been updated to include Pakistan.

The commerce adviser also shared a message from Amazon International Seller Services Vice President Eric Broussard which stated that Pakistani entrepreneurs are now eligible to sell on the platform.

"We are eager to work with Pakistan's dynamic business community, including small and medium-sized sellers and help connect them with customers around the globe," he said.

Earlier in May, Dawood had said that the government had been engaged with Amazon since last year. “It is a great opportunity for our youth, SMEs and women entrepreneurs. An important milestone of e-commerce policy achieved has been through teamwork by many people across the globe," he had said.

Official sources had told Dawn that the Amazon decision for registration of Pakistani companies was the outcome of serious efforts of the commerce ministry and Pakistani missions in Washington and Los Angeles. A pilot project was launched with the help of the Pakistani embassy in Washington.

The sources had said that the major difference after being added to the sellers’ list would be that Pakistani companies would be able to create IDs using their Pakistani details, including Pakistani banks. Moreover, small and medium enterprises, youth and women entrepreneurs would have opportunities to connect with the global market.

Pakistan’s addition to Amazon’s sellers’ list also creates opportunities for exporters to sell their products through the platform. The platform offers Amazon’s 3P model (third party relationship — retailers sell directly to buyers through the marketplace) which serves brand owners while the 1P model (marketplace acts as retailers while brand is wholesale supplier) is for mass producers, who want to produce for Amazon brand items.

Some Pakistani companies are already selling on Amazon from their overseas offices but the country’s inclusion in the sellers’ list will increase opportunities for SMEs. The move is said to help promote more businesses and online buyers get access to Pakistani brands which can now reach all major markets through Amazon.

Pakistani products available for sale on Amazon are mostly textile, sports, leather and surgical goods. Earlier, Pakistani companies had to register from offices outside the country or produce goods for other brands available on Amazon.