Pakistan and the United States have said negotiations on a proposed reciprocal trade framework have advanced significantly, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to reaching an agreement as soon as possible. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb held a meeting with United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer to review progress in the ongoing talks aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Recalling recent discussions in Washington, the finance minister welcomed the steady progress made by the two negotiating teams and praised the constructive engagement that has shaped the talks over time. During the meeting, Senator Aurangzeb stressed the need to keep the negotiations moving in line with Pakistan's economic priorities. He said a stronger trade and investment partnership with the United States would support Pakistan's export-led growth strategy, improve economic resilience and create greater commercial opportunities for businesses in both countries.

He also underlined the importance of continued cooperation with the United States Export-Import Bank to help facilitate trade and investment. Ambassador Greer acknowledged Pakistan's continued engagement throughout the negotiations and welcomed progress on labour and regulatory reforms, including steps related to forced labour compliance. He said the United States remained committed to maintaining the positive direction of the trade discussions and expressed confidence that the remaining issues could be resolved through further technical engagement.

The finance minister called for close coordination and faster technical-level talks to build on the progress already made. Both sides said they were satisfied with the progress so far and agreed to continue working together to finalise the remaining elements of the framework soon, with the aim of further strengthening the long-standing economic partnership between Pakistan and the United States. The meeting was also attended by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul and senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)