
Aurangzeb hints at major US investment
In an informal discussion upon his return from the United States, Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Pakistan will soon receive encouraging news of substantial investments across various sectors from the US.
He stated that during his visit, Pakistan achieved significant success in key meetings held as part of trade negotiations, which were highly appreciated by the US administration.
The minister described the trade talks with the US as a major success for the country, noting that Pakistan is moving in the right direction and the results will be visible soon.
Pakistan eyes constructive trade engagement with US: Aurangzeb
Muhammad Aurangzeb underlined the need for making decisions that will bring long-term improvements to the economy and expressed satisfaction over the mutually successful outcome of the negotiations.
The United States and Pakistan hailed a trade deal that Islamabad said would lead to lower tariffs and increased investment, but without specifying the level of tariff to be levied on Pakistani exports.
'This deal marks the beginning of a new era of economic collaboration especially in energy, mines and minerals, IT, cryptocurrency and other sectors,' the Pakistan finance ministry said in a statement following a final round of talks in Washington.
Pakistan had faced a potential tariff of 29%, which was later suspended – as with other nations – to allow trade talks up to an August 1 deadline. Islamabad was aiming at a tariff less than regional trade rivals such as Vietnam, which had a 20% tariff imposed by Trump, and India, which is threatened with a 25% tariff.

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


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Rupee inches upwards against US dollar
Rupee's Performance Against US Dollar Since 04 March 2025 The Pakistani rupee maintained its upward momentum against the US dollar, appreciating 0.01% in the inter-bank market on Tuesday. At close, the currency settled at 282.42, a gain of Re0.03. On Monday, rupee closed at 282.45. Internationally, the US dollar held steady on Tuesday, with markets braced for a key consumer inflation report later in the day that could shape expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The Australian dollar was steady hours before a policy decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia. The US dollar index - which measures the currency against six counterparts, including the euro and yen - was steady at 98.497 as of 0046 GMT, after advancing 0.5% over the past two sessions. Prior to that, the dollar had retreated as US President Donald Trump's dovish-leaning pick to replace a Fed governor, and similarly inclined potential candidates for chairman, led traders to increase easing bets. In addition, Fed officials have sounded increasingly uneasy about the labour market, signalling their as soon as September. Cooling inflation could cement bets for a reduction next month, but if signs emerge that Trump's tariffs are fuelling price pressures, that might keep the central bank on hold for now. Traders currently put the odds of a quarter-point cut on September 17 at about 89%. The greenback rose 0.1% to 148.28 yen on Tuesday. The euro was flat at $1.1615. Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, rose on Tuesday as the United States and China extended a pause on higher tariffs, easing concerns that an escalation of their trade war would disrupt their economies and crimp fuel demand in the world's two largest oil consumers. Brent crude futures gained 26 cents, or 0.39%, to $66.89 a barrel by 0015 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 22 cents, or 0.34%, to $64.18.


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PSX ends flat, KSE-100 settles above 147,000
Despite strong early gains, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed Tuesday's session on a flat note as investors opted for profit-taking after the KSE-100 index touched a record intra-day high of 147,976.98. At close, the benchmark KSE-100 settled at 147,005.32, a new record high, following a gain of 75.48 points or 0.05%. Analysts attributed the investor optimism to encouraging corporate earnings and reports of upcoming US investments in Pakistan's energy sector. In an informal discussion upon his return from the United States, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that Pakistan will soon receive encouraging news of substantial investments across various sectors from the US. The minister described the trade talks with the US as a major success for the country, noting that Pakistan is moving in the right direction and the results will be visible soon. On Monday, the bulls stamped their authority on the PSX, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index surged 1,547.05 points, or 1.06%, to close at 146,929.84. Globally, most Asian stocks rose on Tuesday, buoyed by an extension of a tariff truce between the world's two largest economies, while Japanese shares hit an all-time peak, powered by tech shares after returning from a long weekend break. US President Donald Trump extended a tariff truce with China by another 90 days on Monday, staving off triple-digit duties on Chinese goods, a move that was largely expected by investors and markets. Investor sentiment in recent weeks has been supported by expectations of rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, resilient US corporate earnings, and clarity on US trade levies on trading partners. Japan's Nikkei climbed to a record high and was last up 2% as the country's markets reopened after a public holiday on Monday, tracking other global indices this year. Australia's benchmark index also hit a record high, ahead of a monetary policy meeting at which the central bank is widely expected to cut interest rates. That left MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan a tad higher. China's blue-chip stocks were flat while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index eased 0.1% in early trading.


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
SBP partners with Japan's Soramitsu for digital currency rollout: report
In a major step towards digitisation, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is working with Soramitsu, a Japanese blockchain technology developer, to pilot a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the country this year, reported Nikkei Asia on Tuesday. As per the report, the digital Pakistani rupee pilot will be run on Soramitsu's CBDC platform with funding from the Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. 'Many transactions in rural areas are cash-based, even for wage payments, and the rate of people with bank accounts is low,' Masato Toriya, associate professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and specialist in Pakistan, told Nikkei Asia. As per the report, the CBDC intends to address the problem of high cash distribution costs. Soramitsu, which developed Cambodia's Bakong digital currency, says the Pakistan initiative - covering 250 million people and a $400 billion economy - is its largest to date. The Tokyo-based company is also developing offline CBDC capabilities to enable smartphone transactions without internet access, positioning the initiative as a potential model for other developing economies. Last month, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad informed that the central bank is preparing to launch a pilot for a digital currency and is finalising legislation to regulate virtual assets. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT Asia summit in Singapore, Ahmad said Pakistan was 'building up our capacity on the SBP digital currency' and hoped to roll out a pilot soon. He added that a new law would 'lay down the foundations for the licensing and regulation' of the virtual assets sector and that the SBP was already in touch with some tech partners. In recent months, Pakistan has ramped up efforts to modernise its financial system with the establishment of the government-backed Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), set up in March to drive virtual asset adoption. The PCC is exploring bitcoin mining using surplus energy and has appointed Binance founder Changpeng Zhao as a strategic adviser and plans to establish a state-run bitcoin reserve. It has also held talks with US-based crypto firms, including the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial. In May, the SBP clarified that virtual assets were not illegal. However, it advised financial institutions not to engage with them until a formal licensing framework was in place.