Pakistan and the United States are set to resume high-level trade negotiations in Washington on Thursday, as both sides seek to finalize a framework for expanding bilateral trade, addressing tariff-related issues, and paving the way for a formal trade agreement, diplomatic sources said.
Delegation Arrives in Washington
The Pakistani delegation, led by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, has arrived in Washington to participate in the talks. The delegation also includes Labour Secretary Nadeem Chaudhry, along with senior representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Pakistan’s Foreign Office is being represented by Foreign Office spokesperson and Additional Secretary Tahir Andrabi, and Pakistan Ambassador to Washington Rizwan Saeed Sheikh.
The latest round of negotiations follows a series of virtual meetings held over the past several weeks to finalize outstanding trade-related matters between the two countries.
Focus Areas of the Talks
Diplomatic sources said the discussions will focus on expanding cooperation across multiple sectors of trade, increasing Pakistan’s export opportunities in the United States, and exploring measures to strengthen overall commercial ties. The two sides are also expected to discuss the reduction of US tariffs on Pakistani exports and hold detailed talks on concluding a formal bilateral trade agreement.
A business-friendly regulatory framework is essential to encourage investment, according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who emphasized the importance of such frameworks in attracting foreign capital.
Background and Significance
The Pakistan-US trade dialogue was originally launched in July last year but was later interrupted after the United States imposed tariffs on imports from several countries, temporarily halting the negotiation process. The resumption of talks is being viewed as an important step toward revitalizing economic engagement between Islamabad and Washington and enhancing long-term bilateral trade cooperation.
