Strategic market selection for exports – a case study of Pakistan’s salt exports

Purpose Pakistan owns the world second second-largest salt resources, yet its share in total salt markets is around two percent. This study aims to analyse Pakistan’s existing salt export markets and to strategically select its market to enhance its salt exports. Design/methodology/approach Multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) based hybrid method called interval-valued Atanasov intuitionistic fuzzy combinative distance-based assessment (IVAIF-CODAS) is used in this study Findings The results contradict the “Springboard” perspective; exporters prioritise regional markets. High sensitivity to transaction costs reflects a latent drive to preserve socioemotional wealth. Practical implications The findings are helpful for policymakers and salt exporters. It also provides a unique application of the IVAIF-CODAS in market selection for salt in a developing country context, an approach that could be adopted to similar kinds of situations in different contexts. Originality/value The study’s major contribution is the application of IVAIF-CODAS in the context of strategic market selection for salt exports in a developing country.