ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has departed for the United States to hold high-level talks aimed at finalising the Pakistan-US trade deal, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Monday.
Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer started the negotiations through a telephonic conference call on reciprocal tariffs in May, agreeing to get into technical discussions in the coming weeks.
The talks began after the US proposed a 29 percent duty on Pakistani exports and later temporarily suspended the decision.
By July, talks in Washington had entered their final phase. Pakistan’s Finance Minister described the dialogue as “very constructive,” emphasising a shared commitment to resolving outstanding issues and moving toward finalising a broad economic framework.
During this visit, the Finance Minister will lead concluding discussions with senior US officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Greer.
“The aim is to formalise a comprehensive trade agreement expected to yield mutual economic benefits for both nations,” the Ministry of Finance statement read.
The Finance Ministry highlighted that robust trade and economic ties remained the backbone of Pakistan-US ties.
The ministry noted that the US is still Pakistan’s largest trading partner.
“Pakistan is eager to expand cooperation into non-traditional sectors such as information technology, agriculture, and minerals — all offering significant growth potential,” the statement added.
Pakistan seeks to boost bilateral trade beyond traditional goods by encouraging US investment in critical sectors, including energy and mining, the Finance Ministry stated.
Earlier today, US Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth Horst called on Pakistan’s Finance Minister Aurangzeb in Islamabad, state media reported.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to strengthen their trade and economic partnership, reaffirming growing momentum in bilateral relations.
They exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed the positive momentum in Pakistan–United States bilateral relations.
The Finance Minister expressed gratitude for the United States’ longstanding support for Pakistan’s economic development.
He specifically acknowledged Washington’s continued backing for the macroeconomic stability achieved over the past 18 months and welcomed the growing momentum in bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
He said there is encouraging progress in deepening trade and economic ties between the two countries.
Muhammad Aurangzeb noted that the United States is the largest trading partner of Pakistan and highlighted Pakistan’s keen interest in broadening bilateral cooperation beyond traditional sectors.
