Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has left his second visit to the United States in two weeks to end a trade agreement with Washington, his office said late Monday.
The trip comes after Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Friday that the United States and Pakistan were “very close” to a trade agreement that could come within a few days but comments from the United States after Dar met with State Secretary Marco Rubio mentioned no timeline.
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“One last discussion about the Pakistan-US Trade Dialogue will take place during the visit,” Pakistan’s Finance Ministry said in a statement, adding that a trade agreement will benefit both countries.
Aurangzeb said he held “productive trade negotiations” at meetings with US trade secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer during his previous visit on July 18.
Negotiations that focus on mutual tariffs are part of a wider push to reset economic ties at a time of changing geopolitical adjustments and Islamabad’s efforts to avoid steep US duties on exports.
Pakistan is facing a 29% duty on exports to the United States under President Donald Trump’s measures to target countries with large trade surplus with Washington.
Pakistan’s profits were about $ 3 billion in 2024.
Read more: Dar’s US Visit Sets Stage for Stronger Trade Ties
In order to offset the imbalance and facilitations, Islamabad has offered to import more US goods, including crude oil, and to open investment opportunities through concessions for US companies in Pakistan’s mining sector.
The US -Pakistan relationship enjoyed a big boost when Trump hosted Pakistan’s field marshal Asim Munir in the White House last month for an unprecedented meeting.
Pakistan aims to expand the bilateral trade conditions to both traditional and non-traditional sectors, says the Ministry of Finance.
There is a significant potential for partnerships in key sectors such as information technology, minerals and agriculture, added it.
