logo
Finance minister, US Chargé d'Affaires discuss strengthening economic, trade cooperation

Finance minister, US Chargé d'Affaires discuss strengthening economic, trade cooperation

U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Pakistan Elizabeth Horst on Monday called on Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb to discuss the ongoing momentum in Pakistan-U.S. economic relations and explore avenues for further cooperation, the ministry said in a statement.
During the meeting, held at the Finance Division, both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral engagement, particularly in trade and investment.
Senator Aurangzeb appreciated the longstanding support of the United States for Pakistan's economic development and acknowledged Washington's continued backing for macroeconomic stability over the past year and a half. He also welcomed the positive trajectory of bilateral ties across multiple sectors.
Referring to his recent visit to the United States, the minister briefed Ms. Horst on his meetings with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, and highlighted the encouraging progress in trade relations.
He underscored the significance of the U.S. as Pakistan's largest trading partner and emphasised Islamabad's interest in expanding cooperation in high-potential areas such as information technology, minerals, and agriculture.
The minister also apprised the U.S. diplomat of Pakistan's improving macroeconomic indicators, including recent sovereign credit rating upgrades and growing investor confidence. He outlined key reform measures underway in taxation and energy, aimed at ensuring long-term economic sustainability.
He further shared updates on Pakistan's recent entry into Middle Eastern capital markets, plans for issuing its inaugural Panda bond, and future access to Euro and U.S. dollar-denominated capital markets.
Ms. Horst welcomed the economic progress and acknowledged the government's reform-oriented approach. She reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to strengthening economic and trade ties with Pakistan and expressed optimism about forging a resilient and broad-based business partnership.
The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to build on the current momentum and deepen bilateral collaboration in the coming months.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PCB slams WCL ‘hypocrisy', bans players from future events
PCB slams WCL ‘hypocrisy', bans players from future events

Express Tribune

time6 hours ago

  • Express Tribune

PCB slams WCL ‘hypocrisy', bans players from future events

Listen to article The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a blanket ban on all future participation in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), accusing the tournament organizers of hypocrisy and biased conduct. The decision came following the Board of Governors' (BoG) 79th meeting, held virtually on Sunday under the chairmanship of PCB head Mohsin Naqvi. In a strongly worded statement, the PCB expressed "considerable disappointment" over the WCL's decision to award points to a team that willfully forfeited a match, while also taking exception to what it called the 'hypocritical and biased' language in WCL press releases, particularly surrounding the cancellation of high-profile Pakistan vs India legends matches. Read More: Holder's last-ball heroics level series as West Indies stun Pakistan 'The contents of the said press releases highlight a duality where the narrative of 'peace through sport' is selectively applied,' the PCB stated. 'Sporting events are being held hostage to political expediency and narrow commercial interests.' It is noteworthy that on July 20, India Champions refused to play against Pakistan in the group stage match of the tournament, which led to the match's cancellation. The WCL management subsequently awarded shared points to both teams, a decision that eventually helped India qualify for the semi-final — only for them to again decline to play, allowing Pakistan to progress to the final. The governing body condemned the tournament's apparent disregard for the principle of sporting neutrality, calling the WCL's justification for the cancellation 'far removed from cricketing merit.' 'The WCL's apology for 'hurting sentiments', whilst being farcical, inadvertently acknowledges that the cancellation was not based on sporting grounds but rather on succumbing to a specific nationalistic narrative,' the statement read. 'This bias, masquerading as sensitivity, sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community.' Also Read: Dubai to host Pakistan-India showdown as Asia Cup 2025 venues announced Emphasizing its long-standing stance on keeping sports and politics separate, the PCB said it found it 'deeply concerning' that even an event featuring retired, legendary players was now being influenced by external pressures. 'Our unwavering belief is that cricket, like other international sports, should serve as a platform for goodwill, healthy competition, and mutual respect,' the board reiterated. 'For a tournament involving legendary players to be dictated by sentiments that undermine this fundamental principle is not only regrettable but deeply concerning.' In light of what it described as 'a clear and intolerable pattern of external influence' and 'a disregard for fair play,' the PCB said it could no longer allow its players to participate in the WCL or any future editions of the tournament. 'The PCB can no longer condone participation in an event where the fundamental principles of fair play and unbiased administration are compromised by external pressures,' the statement added. Read: Babar, others reach Florida for WI ODIs Despite its criticism of the WCL, the PCB reaffirmed its commitment to promoting cricket globally and fostering healthy rivalries. 'We remain committed to promoting cricket as a vehicle for unity and sportsmanship,' the statement concluded. 'However, we cannot allow our players to be part of events where the spirit of the game is overshadowed by skewed politics that undermine the gentleman's game.' The virtual BoG meeting was attended by Sumair Ahmed Syed, Salman Naseer, Zaheer Abbas, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Sajjad Ali Khokhar, Zafarullah Jadgal, Tanveer Ahmed, Tariq Sarwar, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Anwaar Ahmad Khan, Adnan Malik, Usman Wahla (special invitee), and Mir Hassan Naqvi.

Pak-Iran FTA vital for strengthening bilateral trade, says FM Dar
Pak-Iran FTA vital for strengthening bilateral trade, says FM Dar

Business Recorder

time8 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Pak-Iran FTA vital for strengthening bilateral trade, says FM Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday said Pakistan-Iran Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and platforms like the Business Forum are vital for strengthening bilateral trade and promoting collaboration across key sectors, including energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. The foreign minister said this addressing the Pakistan-Iran Business Forum in Islamabad, in the presence of President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian and the accompanying high-level delegation, the Foreign Office said. Reaffirming the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Iran, the FM underscored Pakistan's commitment to enhancing economic cooperation and regional connectivity. He welcomed the positive momentum toward finalising the Pakistan-Iran FTA. 'The economic diplomacy is a cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy,' he emphasised. He also highlighted the importance of deepening people-to-people linkages to ensure the shared prosperity of both countries.

Trump wins his deal, Pakistan eyes the future
Trump wins his deal, Pakistan eyes the future

Express Tribune

time15 hours ago

  • Express Tribune

Trump wins his deal, Pakistan eyes the future

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan said that at first when someone says let's impose tariffs on some foreign imports, it looks like they are doing the patriotic thing by protecting the American products and jobs and sometimes for a short while it works but only for a short-time. He went on to say that high tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. Thirty-eight years down the line, President Donald Trump has done exactly the opposite to it, which forced the world capitals to rush to Washington to get some respite at least until they come up with better alternatives. The US-Pakistan trade deal in the aftermath of Donald Trump's protectionist policy has apparently given an edge to Washington. But the deal has the potential to benefit Pakistan in many ways, starting from gaining political advantage, retaining market access to the US and luring back American companies after a long time. The US-Pakistan trade deal has consolidated political relations between the two nations after Islamabad accepted a minimum 19% tariffs on its exports to the states but agreed to a duty-free access to American products against over 4,100 tariff lines with complete market access. Where the concessions have kept the doors of the US markets open for Pakistani exporters, the deal has lured the United States interest back in Pakistan's economy, particularly after Washington was wary of growing Chinese penetration in Pakistan. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also stands ready to welcome the US investment in extraction of rare earth metals –the most sought after minerals in the world, which require new technologies and investments. For some, Pakistan would have negotiated much better tariffs but given the country's political and economic standing the deal after all is better one, if not the best. Through the new Executive Order of July 31st, hours before the expiry of the deadline to negotiate deals, President Donald Trump stated that after considering the information and recommendations he determined that it is necessary and appropriate to deal with the national emergency by imposing additional ad valorem duties on goods of certain trading partners. As a result, Pakistan now faces a 19% tariff on its exports to the United States. The revised tariff for Pakistan is down from the previous retaliatory tax of 29%, which was announced as a threat to come on the negotiations table. Importantly, the revised tariff is over and above the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff, which means 19% is the minimum rate. Prime Minister's Coordinator on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal said this at Pakistan's only premier show on economy, The Review, that 19% tariff was over and above the MFN tariff. In the last fiscal year, Pakistan exported $6 billion worth of goods to the US compared to $2.4 billion imports, earning a surplus of $3.7 billion, a source of concern for President Donald Trump. Pakistan has still gained relative advantage over several regional neighbours under the new US tariff regime, with its 19% rate lower than India's 25%, Bangladesh's 20%, Iraq's 35%, Vietnam's 20%, and equal to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia's 19%. There appears to be political signaling in setting the new rates by President Donald Trump. On April 2, President Trump announced a 26% tariff for India and set its final rate at 25%, lower than Pakistan's 29% at that time. But he has now kept the Indian tariffs 6% above the Pakistan tariffs. The US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick apprised the Pakistani negotiating team that he had been instructed by Donald Trump to conclude a favourable deal with investment in mines, minerals and cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, digital infrastructure and rare earth metals to help Pakistan's economy. This was also acknowledged by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb who said that the deal was a win-win due to Washington's interest to invest in Pakistan. It was probably for the first time in over a decade that the US has shown any serious interest in Pakistan's economy. A better part of the last one decade was consumed in US attempts to undermine the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor through using its diplomatic muscles and influencing the nation's economic policies through arm-twisting by the International Monetary Fund. It is said that Field Marshal and Chief of the Army Staff Asim Munir's meeting with President Donald Trump helped break the ice. Pakistani negotiators also expressed constructive approach toward the US demands, which helped to get something in return of giving complete market access. The deal's fine points are that Washington has gained market access at zero tariffs. Initially, there were reports that the US would be charged no import tariff against its exports on 1,714 tariff lines. Commerce Coordinator Rana Ihsaan disclosed in The Review programme, that the US has also been offered additional 2,400 tariff lines at zero rate, which are currently only available to China. Rana Ihsaan said that the US would get zero tariffs on over 4,100 tariff lines. Pakistan was negotiating the effectiveness of zero rates on US imports against 4,100 tariff lines from July 2026 due to needed legislative changes and also because of negative revenue implications. The United States had set two key demands for a trade deal with Pakistan: lower tariffs on its exports to Pakistan to zero with total access to markets; and exemption to its companies from 5% tax imposed under the Digital Presence Proceeds Act 2025. Hours before President Donald Trump's announcement that his administration reached a deal with Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue issued a notification to withdraw the 5% tax. There have been concerns in the Pakistani camps that since zero-duty access is in breach of the World Trade Organization framework, Pakistan's other trading partners might object to the huge concession. To deal with the matter, there is a possibility that both sides show intentions to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement or a Free Trade Agreement. President Donald Trump also talked about exploring Pakistan's oil reserves with US companies. A Petroleum Division official said that there was a possibility that any US company can participate in the upcoming offshore drilling. The Express Tribune reported last week that the Petroleum Division was seeking bids from interested investors to grant rights for drilling on offshore wells and it would open the bids on October 31, 2025. For some, the US interest in Pakistan's oil and gas sector was surprising. But as a matter of fact, the US companies have in the past too played a role in oil drilling. The country currently produces 73,000 barrel per day oil, which is hardly equal to 15% of its total daily needs. The remaining over 550,000 barrels is imported, which costs the nation annually between $11 billion to $14 billion, depending upon the global oil prices. There has also been a criticism that Pakistan has given too much in return of getting only 10% relief against initially announced retaliatory tariffs. But the Pakistani negotiators said that Washington was not willing to step back from its demand of complete market access. The Donald Trump administration also used the India card in these negotiations. Pakistani negotiators were told that India was ready to give market access on 90% proposed tariff lines by the US but President Trump rejected the demand. With Pakistani minimum tariffs still lower than regional peers, our exporters expect the status quo to the least. They do not see any loss of market in the shorter term. Nonetheless, the behavioral change of the US consumers due to the now high cost of consumer goods cannot be ruled out, which impacts orders in the longer run. The enhanced tariffs would do more damage to the US competitiveness and appetite for innovation due to further protection that its industries have received in the shape of 10% to 41% increase in import taxes against various countries. Pakistani policymakers may also have to offer more than just lower than regional tariffs mantra by cutting the interest rates at least 5%, bringing stability in the exchange rate regime, clearing pending tax refunds to lower the cost and reducing the taxes on industries along with at least one-third reduction in energy tariffs. Until an enabling and regionally competitive environment is not provided to exporters, the country cannot take much benefit from any trade deal. The exporters too have to adopt the new technologies and stop parking a portion of their export receipts abroad to win the trust of the policymakers.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store