
Pakistan makes large US soybean purchase as tensions with India rise
CHICAGO: Pakistan has made its biggest purchase of U.S. soybeans in nearly three years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday, as the nation resumes imports of genetically engineered soy.
The purchases will only partially offset U.S. farmers' lost sales to top soy importer China because of President Donald Trump's trade war with Beijing. More than half of U.S. soybean exports are normally to China, while Pakistan's total imports in 2021 totaled just 1.4% of U.S. shipments abroad, according to U.S. government data.
Pakistan, which is clashing with India after a deadly attack on Indian tourists in the disputed territory of Kashmir, bought 225,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans for delivery in the crop year that begins on Sept. 1, the USDA said via its daily reporting system. It was the country's largest one-off deal for U.S. soybeans since a 297,000-ton purchase in June 2022, according to agency data.
In retaliation for the April 22 attack, which left 26 people dead, India suspended a water-sharing pact with Pakistan, which denies any link to the Kashmir violence. Farmers in Pakistan who rely on the water for irrigation said crops could fail and people could go hungry.
Pakistan's large soybean purchase surprised market analysts.
Chicago soybeans, wheat rise amid trade deal hopes, US-China talks
'Pakistan is not the buyer that buys that amount of soybeans all in one slug before a new-crop season,' said Dan Basse, president of consultancy AgResource.
Pakistan began approving imports of genetically engineered soybeans in December after banning them in 2022, according to the USDA. The ban, which ruled out most U.S. soy, increased poultry feed prices and chicken meat prices in Pakistan, the agency said.
Pakistan imported 765,388 metric tons of U.S. soy in 2021, before the ban, and 2,644 metric tons last year, USDA data show.
The agency, in an April report, projected Pakistan's total imports will rebound to 2 million metric tons in the crop year that begins on Sept. 1. It said local soybean production is negligible.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
37 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
KSE-100 crosses 125,000 as post-budget optimism drives buying spree
Buying rally continued at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), as the benchmark KSE-100 Index crossed the 125,000 amid a gain of over 1,100 points during the opening minutes of trading on Thursday. At 9:50am, the benchmark index was hovering at 125,455.34 level, an increase of 1,102.66 points or 0.89%. Across the board buying was observed in key sectors including automobile assemblers, cement, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration, OMCs and refinery traded in the green. Addressing the post-budget conference, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday warned that additional revenue measures of up to Rs500 billion would be taken next fiscal year, if enabling amendments and legislation on enforcement were not passed by parliament, adding that all the budget figures were locked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Aurangzeb presented the federal budget 2025-26 to the parliament on Tuesday, with a total outlay of Rs17.573 trillion, targeting a GDP growth rate of 4.2% against 2.7 per cent in the outgoing year. On Wednesday, the PSX extended its rally as key indices posted strong gains, fueled by robust investor participation and improved sentiment following the positive announcements in the federal budget. The benchmark KSE-100 Index rose by 2,328 points, or 1.91%, to close at 124,352.68 points, up from 122,024.44 points in the previous session. Internationally, global stocks and the dollar slipped on Thursday as investors assessed a benign U.S. inflation report and the fragile trade truce between Washington and Beijing, while rising tensions in the Middle East and lingering tariff anxiety dampened risk sentiment. Attention in financial markets this week has been focused on the US-China trade talks, which culminated in a framework agreement that would remove Chinese export restrictions on rare earth minerals and allow Chinese students to access US universities. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.3% lower in early trading after hitting a three-year high on Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.7%, while U.S. and European stock futures fell. China's blue-chip stock index fell 0.37%, moving off the near three-week top it touched in the previous session. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 0.74%, also inching away from Wednesday's three-month high. Trump's erratic tariff policies have roiled global markets this year, prompting hordes of investors to exit US assets, especially the dollar, as they worried about rising prices and slowing economic growth.


Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
US says Trump keen to resolve Kashmir issue
US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for the new US ambassador to China, former US Senator David Perdue, at the White House in Washington, DC, US on May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS Listen to article Pakistan's recent diplomatic outreach in Washington appears to be making headway, as the US Department of State on Wednesday reaffirmed President Donald Trump's stated willingness to engage on the Kashmir dispute. During a White House press briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce responded to a query regarding Trump's potential course of action following his earlier offer to mediate on Kashmir. "So, while I can't speak to his plans, the world knows his nature, and I can't speak to any details of what he might have in that regard," she said, noting that further comment would come from the White House. Bruce stressed the president's track record of initiating unexpected diplomatic dialogues, expressing optimism that progress on Kashmir was not beyond reach. "[Trump] has been the only one to bring certain people to the table to have conversations that nobody thought was possible," she said. "It shouldn't surprise anyone that he'd want to manage something like that," she added. The remarks coincided with a recent high-level Pakistani delegation visit to Washington, led by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Responding to a related question, Bruce confirmed that the delegation met with senior State Department officials, including Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker. According to Bruce, the discussions centred on bilateral ties, with emphasis on counterterrorism cooperation. "We also know that Deputy Secretary Landau met with the Indian parliamentary delegation last week, and he also reaffirmed the United States strong support of India in the fight against terrorism," she noted. Pakistan has launched a comprehensive diplomatic campaign in the United States to present its viewpoint on the recent escalation with India and to counter New Delhi's expanding lobbying footprint in Washington. The campaign includes outreach to US lawmakers, think tanks, and the media. Foreign Minister Bilawal, who led a nine-member team, visited New York and Washington from May 31 to June 6 before heading to London and Brussels. During the US leg of the trip, he held meetings with over a dozen members of Congress, including both the House of Representatives and the Senate. He also engaged with senior officials at the State Department, where he outlined Islamabad's concerns over India's aggressive posture, threats to the Indus Waters Treaty and incendiary rhetoric from the Modi-led government. Meanwhile, President Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office last week, doubled down on his claim of playing a key role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan during earlier flare-ups. "They don't give me credit for anything, but nobody else could have stopped it," he said.


Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Top US general praises 'phenomenal partner' Pakistan
Lieutenant General Michael Kurilla testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination to become Commander of Central Command during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, February 8, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE Listen to article In a stunning rebuke to the Indian attempts seeking Pakistan's international isolation, a top US general on Tuesday publicly praised Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner" in the global fight against terrorism and insisted Washington must not ignore Pakistan while pursuing strategic ties with India. The testimony of General Michael Kurilla, Commander Central Command (CENTCOM), was seen as a major diplomatic win for Pakistan at a time when India was trying to build a narrative that Islamabad was sponsoring terrorism. The testimony stands in sharp contrast to persistent efforts, particularly from Indian lobbying groups, to paint Pakistan as an unreliable partner in the fight against terrorism. Gen Kurilla's candid remarks not only validate Pakistan's ongoing sacrifices but may also recalibrate the tone of future US policy in South Asia. Gen Kurilla's statement before the House Arms Services Committee led to a meltdown in India where the media and commentators questioned the US loyalty. The CENTCOM chief terming ISIS-Khorasan the most active terrorist groups, said the Afghan Taliban went after them and pushed "a lot of them into the trial areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border". "Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistanthey (Pakistan) have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them," he told lawmakers. "Through our relationship we have with them, and providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high-value individuals. They extradited back Jafar, who is one of the key individuals behind the Abbey Gate bombing," he added. "And the first person [ ] the [Pakistani] chief of the army staff Munir [called] me and said, "I've caught him, ready to extradite him back to United States, please tell the Secretary of Defense and the President." "So, we are seeing Pakistan, with limited intelligence that we provide, and go after them using their means to do that, and we're seeing an effect on ISIS Khorasan," General Kurila said. "And I would also tell you that since 2024the beginningPakistan has had over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the western area, killing about 700 security and [2,500] civilians. They have an active counterterrorism fight right now, and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world." Gen Kurilla highlighted the staggering toll terrorism continues to take on Pakistan itself, citing over 1,000 terrorist attacks in 2024 alonekilling approximately 700 security personnel and 2,500 civilians. "They have an active counterterrorism fight right now," he stated. "And they've been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world." The CENTCOM chief emphasized that Pakistan's efforts over the last several months have severely degraded ISIS-K's capabilities. According to intelligence gained through interrogations and exploitation of captured militants, the terrorist group is currently at a "low point", though it still poses a transnational threat. "These are the same individuals that carried out the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow and the bombing in Kerman, Iran," Kurilla said. "There are even ties to plots against the U.S. homeland, which I can discuss in a classified setting." In a significant diplomatic note, Gen Kurilla rejected the idea that US relations in South Asia must be zero-sum between India and Pakistan. "It's not a binary switch," he asserted. "We can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has." Paul Kapur Paul Kapur, US President Donald Trump's nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that he would prioritise security cooperation with Pakistan where it aligns with US interests. He also expressed intent to explore opportunities for enhancing bilateral collaboration in trade and investment, He previously served on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff during Trump's first term, where he played a role in shaping US strategy in South Asia. Kapur, an academic of Indian origin, acknowledged the region's volatility, referring to the recent escalation between India and Pakistan. He said the crisis was narrowly averted due to "intense engagement" by US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "If confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation with Pakistan where it is in America's interest," says Paul Kapur who is set to become Trump's top diplomat on South Asia. On Pakistan, he said that if confirmed, he would "pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to US interests while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment." He noted that "South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio intensely engaged on the issue." He added, "If confirmed, I will continue to promote long-standing US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability and the fight against terrorism."