Finding Norwegian Business Partners from Pakistan

A young, digital country looking outward

Pakistan's 2023 census counted about 241.5 million people. According to Pakistan's Economic Survey, based on that census, 67 percent of the population is under 30, which means roughly 160 million people under the age of 30. Many of them work in software, IT services and digital freelancing. Reports based on State Bank of Pakistan data put IT and IT-enabled services exports at about 4.6 billion US dollars in the fiscal year 2025–26, up from about 3.8 billion the year before.

What many Pakistani companies describe is not a lack of skills but a lack of access: it is hard to see which foreign companies would be good customers or partners, and hard to get a reply from them. Norway is a small market, but a wealthy and digital one, and almost everything you need to research a Norwegian company is public. This guide explains how to use that.

What trade between Pakistan and Norway looks like today

The figures are modest, and it is better to be honest about that from the start:

• Volume. The Pakistani embassy in Oslo reports bilateral trade of about 198 million US dollars in the fiscal year 2022–23: about 134 million in Pakistani exports to Norway and about 64 million in imports from Norway.
• What is traded. According to the Norwegian embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan mainly exports textiles, leather goods and agricultural products to Norway, while Norway mainly exports fertilisers, machinery, aluminium, iron and steel.
• Tariffs. Norway has no bilateral trade agreement with Pakistan, but Pakistani goods receive tariff reductions under Norway's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). Preferences depend on meeting the rules of origin, and some products, especially certain textiles, are excluded, so check the current rules with Norwegian Customs (toll.no) for your products.
• Investment. Telenor, the Norwegian telecom group, is the largest Norwegian company in Pakistan, according to the Norwegian embassy.
• People. Pakistani-Norwegians are one of Norway's largest immigrant communities. At the start of 2026 there were 19,300 people born in Norway to Pakistani parents, the largest group of Norwegian-born children of immigrants, according to Statistics Norway. Many run businesses in Norway and can be natural partners or customers.

Pakistan has also been studying a possible free trade agreement with EFTA, of which Norway is a member. No agreement exists today.

Where Pakistani companies can find a fit in Norway

The opportunities depend on what you offer. Three common situations:

IT, software and digital services

Norwegian companies buy software development, testing, design, data work and support, and some use offshore or nearshore teams. Good places to look:

• Norwegian IT consultancies and software companies (industry group 62) that may need extra capacity or a delivery partner. Partnering with a Norwegian firm that already has the customer relationship is often easier than selling directly to end customers.
• Companies hiring developers. Job ads show which companies are building technical teams. A company that struggles to hire may be open to a partner, but a job ad is not proof of that; it is a reason to look closer.
• Industries with heavy digital needs, such as finance, logistics, retail and e-commerce, and health.

Textiles, leather, sports goods and food

Here you are usually looking for importers, wholesalers and agents (industry group 46) and for retail chains with their own purchasing. Wholesalers are the usual route into Norwegian retail. Look at which products they already carry and whether yours fill a gap.

Engineering, outsourcing and back-office services

Accounting support, engineering drawings, customer service and similar services can be sold to Norwegian companies of many sizes. Be clear about language, time zone (Norway is 4 hours behind Pakistan in winter and 3 in summer) and data protection, since Norwegian customers are bound by GDPR.

A practical method, step by step

1. Describe your offer in one sentence, and who in Norway would pay for it.
2. Build a list from Norway's open company register, Enhetsregisteret, by industry and region. You can do this free in Propler's company search, or describe your offer in plain language in Propler's AI search (free account), which suggests relevant Norwegian companies and explains why each may fit. Suggestions are decision support, not proof of a need.
3. Check each company: status (not bankrupt or in liquidation), legal form (AS is a limited company; ENK is a sole proprietorship), filed annual accounts, CEO and board, and its own website. Our Norwegian company data guide explains each source.
4. Prioritise companies with signs of activity: growth, hiring, public tenders.
5. Approach a few companies well rather than many badly. Explain why you contact them, what you offer and what you ask for (a short call, a test project, a quote).

The general method, including the Norwegian rules on e-mail marketing, is described in more detail in our guide to finding business partners in Norway from abroad. For the two most common Pakistani situations there are step-by-step guides: how Pakistani IT and software companies can find clients in Norway and how to find buyers in Norway and Europe for Pakistani products. Before you sign or ship, run through how to verify a Norwegian company.

Who can help

• The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad (norway.no/pakistan). Norway opened its embassy in Islamabad in 1976 and also has an honorary consulate in Lahore. The embassy says supporting business communities in both countries is a priority.
• The Embassy of Pakistan in Oslo (pakistanembassy.no), which publishes information on bilateral trade.
• Pakistan's chambers of commerce, such as the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has hosted meetings with the Norwegian ambassador.
• The Pakistani-Norwegian business community in Norway. Many companies in Oslo and other cities are owned by Pakistani-Norwegians and understand both markets.

How to build trust from Pakistan

A Norwegian company that receives a message from an unknown foreign supplier will check who you are. Make that easy:

• A clear, professional website in English, with your company registration details in Pakistan, a physical address, real team members and real references.
• Proof of delivery: case studies, portfolio links, and if possible references from European customers.
• Start small. A paid pilot or a limited first order lowers the risk for the buyer.
• Be ready for due diligence. Larger Norwegian companies must, under the Transparency Act, check human rights and working conditions in their supply chains. Expect questions about your working conditions and your own suppliers, and answer them openly.
• Protect data properly. If you will handle personal data for a Norwegian customer, expect a data processing agreement under GDPR.

Where Propler fits

Propler was built for exactly this kind of cross-border discovery: making it easier to see which Norwegian companies are relevant to what you offer, and why. Today Propler covers Norwegian companies only; it does not search Pakistani companies. Read more on our About page and about Norway as a market on the Norway market page.