How to Find Buyers in Norway and Europe for Pakistani Products

Start with demand, not with a mailing list

The most common mistake in export marketing is to start by sending catalogues to every address you can find. A better order of work is: find out whether there is demand for your product in the country, understand the rules and tariffs that decide whether you can compete on price, and only then pick the companies to contact.

This guide focuses on Norway, which Propler covers, and points out where the European Union works differently. For the overall Pakistan–Norway picture, read Finding Norwegian business partners from Pakistan.

Step 1: Research demand with official statistics

• Statistics Norway (SSB) publishes Norway's imports by product (HS commodity code) and by country of origin, for example table 08801. You can see how much Norway imports of your product, from which countries, and how this changes over time. If Norway already imports a lot of your product from countries with similar costs, there is demand and there is competition.
• Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) publishes the customs tariff online, searchable by commodity code, with an import calculator for duty and VAT. The eight-digit Norwegian code builds on the international six-digit HS code.
• For the EU, the European Commission's Access2Markets portal shows tariffs, rules of origin and requirements for each product and EU country.

Write down your product's HS code first. It is the key to all three sources.

Step 2: Understand tariffs: Norway is not the EU

Pakistani exporters often know the EU's GSP+ scheme, under which Pakistan has been the largest beneficiary; press reports based on EU figures put Pakistan's use of GSP+ preferences at about EUR 7.1 billion of exports in 2024. Norway is not in the EU, so EU GSP+ does not apply to Norway. Norway has its own Generalised System of Preferences, under which Pakistani goods get tariff reductions, with exceptions for some products, notably certain textiles and clothing. Preferences in both systems depend on meeting the rules of origin and having the right documentation.

The EU's current GSP framework expires at the end of 2026 and a new regulation applies from 1 January 2027; Pakistan must apply again for GSP+ under the new rules, with transition arrangements reported until the end of 2028. Check the current position before you price for the EU market.

Step 3: Check product rules early

• Food and drink. Everyone who imports food into Norway must be registered with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet), and food from outside the EU/EEA can need border control and special permits, particularly for products containing meat, fish or milk. Your Norwegian importer carries these duties, which is one reason importers prefer suppliers who already deliver to the EU.
• Consumer and technical products. Through the EEA Agreement, most EU product rules, such as CE marking for products that need it and EU chemicals rules, also apply in Norway.
• Supply chain questions. Larger Norwegian buyers must, under the Transparency Act, carry out due diligence on human rights and working conditions in their supply chains. Expect questions about your factories and your own suppliers, and answer them openly.

Step 4: Find the right type of buyer

Most Pakistani goods reach Norwegian customers through one of these:

• Importers and wholesalers (industry group 46 in the register) that already sell your category to retailers, workshops, hospitals or industry. They are usually the best first target.
• Agents who sell on commission for several foreign manufacturers.
• Retail chains and e-commerce companies with their own sourcing, usually for larger volumes.
• Professional end users, such as hospitals buying surgical instruments or sports clubs buying equipment, often through tenders or through wholesalers.

Our guide to finding importers and distributors in Scandinavia explains the differences, how to evaluate a distributor, and what to agree in the contract.

Step 5: Build and check a shortlist

1. In Propler's free company search, filter by the wholesale group that matches your product, by region and by size. Or describe your product in Propler's AI search (free account), for example "Pakistani manufacturer of cotton workwear looking for Norwegian importers and distributors of workwear", and get suggested companies with the facts behind each suggestion.
2. Read each company's website: which brands and products does it already carry, and to whom does it sell?
3. Check the company: status, accounts and who runs it. Our verification checklist takes about fifteen minutes.
4. Keep ten to thirty companies that clearly sell to the customers you want to reach.

Step 6: Approach buyers professionally

• Lead with fit: one sentence on why your product fills a gap in their range (price point, quality, certification, lead time).
• Make it easy to test: samples, a small trial order, clear minimum order quantities.
• Be precise: prices with Incoterms, lead times, payment terms, and who handles transport and customs.
• Show documentation: certificates of origin for tariff preferences, product certifications, and social compliance audits if you have them.

Norway's Marketing Control Act requires consent before e-mail marketing to individuals, so write to company addresses or contact buyers at trade fairs and through official introductions.

Where to get help

• TDAP (Trade Development Authority of Pakistan) connects exporters with Pakistan's commercial sections abroad, organises exhibitions and trade fair participation, and can verify Pakistani companies for foreign buyers.
• The Pakistani embassy in Oslo and its commercial section, and the Norwegian embassy in Islamabad.
• Your industry association in Pakistan, which may organise delegations to European trade fairs where Norwegian buyers attend.

What Propler can and cannot do here

Propler helps you find and check Norwegian companies and explains why each may be relevant to your product. It does not search companies outside Norway, it does not confirm which companies want to buy, and it is not a source of customs or legal advice; use Tolletaten, Mattilsynet and your advisers for that.