Washington (TDI): Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is currently on a visit to the United States and met the Secretary of State Rubio yesterday. said that he is hopeful a trade deal will likely be finalized soon, perhaps in a matter of days.
DPM/FM made these remarks as he was speaking at the Atlantic Council, after his meeting with Secretary Rubio. Discussion on trade and minerals did make part of the direct talks between the two dignitaries.
“I think we are very close to finalizing a deal with US. Our teams have been here in Washington, discussing, having virtual meetings and a committee has been tasked by the prime minister to fine-tune now,” Dar said.
Pakistan and the United States (US) have been engaged in talks after Washington announced a 29 percent “reciprocal tariff” on Pakistani exports in April. As the 90 day tariff pause deadline expired on July 9, Pakistani trade officials were in Washington for extensive four-day talks prior the date.
Read More: Pakistan, US Finalize Trade and Tariff Deal After Intense Talks
The Pakistani side announced reaching a considerable level of understanding as the talks concluded. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paal led the Pakistani delegation in the talks.
According to officials who were familiar with the four-day discussions, specific focus was placed on major initiatives such as the Reko Diq copper and gold project and the energy infrastructure tied to it, Dawn reported in early July.
A formal announcement of a trade deal now seems more likely as the DPM/FM has met Secretary Rubio, but the State Department has not yet given any timeline on when to expect the inking of the deal.
Read More: Diplomacy in DC: Dar, Rubio Discuss Trade and Regional Stability
Speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, the Pakistani deputy premier said both sides have recently held discussions relating to textiles, digital trade and agriculture.
“Pakistan seeks better market access in the US. On our part, we are working toward granting greater market access to the US products in the large Pakistani markets,” he said.
The US is Pakistan’s top export destination, with shipments totaling 5.44 billion dollars in fiscal year 2023-2024
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