Pakistan, US hold talks on reciprocal trade agreement in Washington

Pakistan and the United States held a fresh round of negotiations on a proposed Reciprocal Trade Agreement, with discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade, addressing tariff issues and enhancing economic cooperation, Dawn reported. 

The two-day talks, held on Thursday and Friday, were led by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul. The Pakistani delegation also includes Secretary Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Nadeem Chaudhary, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, Joint Secretary (Tariff Policy) Mohammad Ashfaq, and officials from other ministries participating virtually.

Tahir Andrabi said these talks are aimed at strengthening Pakistan-US trade ties, expanding bilateral commerce, and creating a framework for broader economic engagement.

The talks cover reciprocal tariff arrangements as well as cooperation in energy, information technology, mining and investment. Both sides are also discussing measures to encourage private-sector investment and public-private partnerships.

The latest round follows earlier discussions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), during which proposed US tariffs on certain Pakistani exports were reportedly reduced from 29% to around 19%.

Pakistan is seeking improved market access for its exports, particularly textiles, while the US is focusing on regulatory consistency and investment facilitation as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic relations.