Islamabad:
Pakistan and the United States have agreed to improve commercial and economic cooperation to promote a mutually beneficial partnership, following a high-level meeting between the Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb and the US Secretary for Trade Howard Lutnick on Friday, the Ministry of Finance announced.
According to a statement, the Pakistani delegation also met the ambassador of the United States representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer in Washington, DC. Discussions focused on the progression of economic engagement, expanding market access and identifying new paths for collaboration.
The two parties expressed their satisfaction with the progress made in bilateral trade relations – a key pillar of Pakistani links – and have reaffirmed their commitment to explore opportunities in the traditional and emerging sectors.
The Minister of Finance, Muhammad Aurangzeb, meets the American secretary of trade Howard Lutnick and the American representative of the ambassador Jamieson Greer in Washington on Friday July 18, 2025. Photo: Ministry of Finance
Aurangzeb said that the United States remains the largest trading partner in Pakistan, noting Islamabad’s interest in expanding cooperation in sectors such as information technologies, minerals and agriculture.
He declared that the objective was to diversify trade and investment in order to serve the economic interests of the two nations. The two parties expressed optimism regarding the conclusion of current trade discussions, technical discussions should end in the coming week.
Relations between Islamabad and Trump administration have experienced a notable increase in recent months, especially after the United States has intervened to mediate a ceasefire between Pakistan and India after a four-day conflict in May.
In what observers have described as an unprecedented diplomatic gesture, President Trump welcomed the chief of staff of the army, Marshal Asim will have the White House last month. During a lunch in his honor, Trump recognized the role of the army chief in the defense of tensions with India.
Also read: The business world divided on a strike for Saturday
Last month, Aurangzeb and Lutnick also held a virtual meeting which focused on reciprocal prices – part of the wider efforts to recalibrate economic ties in the geopolitical dynamic environment.
Pakistan requests relief from steep prices imposed by President Trump’s trade policies, in particular an obligation of 29% on Pakistani exports to the United States.
To compensate for the commercial imbalance – Pakistan recorded a trade surplus of $ 3 billion with the United States in 2024 – Islamabad proposed to increase imports of American goods, including crude oil, and to provide investment incentives in its mining sector.
In a parallel development, the US Export-Import bank currently examines financing proposals ranging from $ 500 million to $ 1 billion for investment in the mineral wealth of Pakistan, including the Reko Diq Copper-Gold project of $ 7 billion.
The two countries have also co-organized a webinar to promote American investments in the mineral sector in Pakistan. The event highlighted opportunities in large -scale extractive projects, notably Reko Diq.
