Significant Progress Achieved in Pakistan-US Trade Agreement Talks; Agreement Reached to Expand Access for Pakistani Agricultural and Industrial Products to US Markets
ISLAMABAD: The discussions on a bilateral trade agreement between Pakistan and the United States have made significant progress in both directions, with an emphasis on boosting the market opportunities for Pakistani exports and promoting economic cooperation.
The development came during a high-level meeting between Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker, where both sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment. Trade negotiations are making “significant strides” but are still ongoing for a number of technical clauses, Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul said.
The key points of the talks on trade and commerce between Pakistan and the US were highlighted by the Commerce Minister as follows:
Agricultural Market Access: These talks focused mainly on accessing the U.S. markets for premium Pakistani agricultural products, such as Pakistani mangoes and Balochistan dates.
Broad Based Economic Cooperation: Both discussed opportunities of increasing FDI in the agriculture and industry sectors of Pakistan as well as mineral exploration and technical cooperation.
Institutional Ties: The two countries affirmed their determination to continue trade negotiations, timely resolve market access issues and strengthen institutional relations between Islamabad and Washington.