Pakistan and the United States report “significant progress” in a fresh round of talks on a proposed reciprocal trade agreement. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, the two-day negotiations held in Washington, DC on Thursday and Friday are conducted in a “cordial atmosphere,” with both sides working to address differences and build convergence toward an early conclusion of the agreement. The talks are led by Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, with the Pakistani delegation also including Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Secretary Nadeem Chaudhary and Joint Secretary (Tariff Policy) Mohammad Ashfaq, while some officials participate virtually. The discussions focus on tariff-related concerns, including reciprocal tariff arrangements. Sources also indicate the talks cover broader areas of economic cooperation, including energy, information technology, mining, and investment. The negotiations follow earlier engagement between Pakistani officials and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) concerning tariff concerns and commercial ties. Pakistan has also been responding to Section 301 investigations by the USTR over allegations related to forced labour and related trade practices. The Express Tribune and Dawn both highlight the positive characterization of the talks and the stated goal of moving toward agreement.
Pakistan and US report significant progress in talks on proposed reciprocal trade agreement
Pakistan and the United States report “significant progress” in a fresh round of talks on a proposed reciprocal trade agreement. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, the...
- Pakistan and the US report “significant progress” in trade talks on a proposed reciprocal trade agreement.
- The talks take place in Washington, DC over two days (Thursday and Friday) and are described as cordial.
- Discussions address tariff-related concerns, including reciprocal tariff arrangements.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi says both sides work to iron out differences and build convergence for early conclusion.
- The talks also cover broader economic cooperation areas such as energy, information technology, mining, and investment.
Pakistan and the United States made “significant progress” in a fresh round of negotiations on a proposed reciprocal trade agreement, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi quoted the commerce secretary as saying on Saturday. The two-day talks, held on Thursday and Friday in Washington DC, were led by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul. They aimed to address tariff-related concerns and broaden economic cooperation between the two countries. Paul “characterised the talks as positive and appreciated the significant progress made during the negotiations”, Andrabi said on X on Saturday. “The talks were conducted in a cordial atmosphere, with both sides ironing out differences and building convergence, with a view to the early conclusion of the agreement,” said Andrabi, who was also a part of the talks. The Pakistani delegation also included Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Secretary Nadeem Chaudhary and Joint Secretary (Tariff Policy) Mohammad Ashfaq, while officials from other ministries participated virtually. Officials familiar with the discussions said the negotiations covered not only reciprocal tariff arrangements but also broader areas of economic cooperation, including energy, information technology, mining and investment. The latest talks follow earlier engagement between Pakistani officials and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on tariff concerns and commercial ties. Pakistan is also among nearly 60 countries facing Section 301 investigations by the USTR over alleged forced labour and related trade practices. Islamabad has submitted detailed responses to the USTR, including another submission on Wednesday ahead of the talks. Those discussions resulted in progress on tariff issues, with proposed US duties on certain Pakistani exports reportedly reduced from an initial 29 per cent to around 19pc in August 2025. Announcing the finalisation of a trade deal then, US President Donald Trump had said both countries would “work together on developing their massive oil reserves”. Islamabad and Washington have expressed interest in increasing collaboration in areas such as critical minerals, energy development, information technology and emerging economic sectors. Islamabad has also continued to seek greater market access for Pakistani exporters, particularly in sectors with strong potential in the US market. The US is Pakistan’s largest single-country export market, while Pakistan is the second largest importer of US cotton, underscoring the importance of the economic relationship between the two countries.
1 hour agoAndrabi says both sides ironing out differences, building convergence, with view to early conclusion of agreement
8 hours ago
UK murder suspect sought for wife and two daughters killings arrested in South Africa
South African police arrest a man wanted by British authorities for the alleged killings of his wife and two daughters i...
National Weather Service warns of widespread heat wave across western U.S. this weekend
The U.S. National Weather Service is warning that a “widespread and significant” heat wave is expected to affect parts o...
Pitbull honored after fans set Guinness record for most bald caps at BST Hyde Park
Pitbull is recognized for a Guinness World Record after fans at his BST Hyde Park concert in London set a record for the...