US Chargé d’Affaires meets Finance Minister Aurangzeb – reaffirms strong economic ties.
- Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb left for the United States on Monday, July 28, 2025.
- He is leading final discussions for a key Pakistan-U.S. trade agreement.
- This is his second U.S. visit in two weeks, showing the urgency of the talks.
- The negotiations aim to establish a comprehensive trade agreement with mutually beneficial economic outcomes for both countries.
- The U.S. had earlier proposed a 29% duty on Pakistani exports, now paused for talks.
- Pakistan hopes to expand trade into IT, agriculture, and minerals to boost earnings.
- Islamabad is also offering U.S. firms investment chances in the energy and mining sectors.
- Pakistan has proposed buying more American products, including crude oil.
- Aurangzeb is set to meet U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
- The talks are a follow-up to earlier “productive” meetings on July 18.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently said a deal may be near.
- The U.S. is Pakistan’s top trading partner, with a $3 billion surplus recorded in 2024.
- This visit follows recent high-level engagements between the U.S. and Pakistan, including a meeting between President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
