‘Trade talks with US will be breakthrough in potential FTA’

State Minister for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani has said the ongoing trade talks with the United States will be a breakthrough in a potential Free Trade Agreement, which will be a game changer for Pakistan’s economy.

Talking to a private news channel, he also welcomed US acknowledgment of Pakistan’s counter terrorism efforts and regional role, Radio Pakistan reported.

Kayani said Pakistan is actively strengthening its diplomatic and economic relations with the US, China, Russia, and Gulf countries on an equal footing.

Bilateral ties between Pakistan and US have improved in recent times, with US President Donald Trump’s holding a rare meeting with Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House.

Pakistan says it’s close to US trade deal

Moreover, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also held a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss trade and economic cooperation among other matters of mutual interest in Washington on Friday.

Dar said the United States and Pakistan were “very close” to a trade deal that could come within days.

“I think we are very close to finalising a deal with the 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 in a discussion at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.

“It’s not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say (just) days,” he said.

During his visit to the US, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington recently to advance economic cooperation, as per the Ministry of Finance.

Reuters earlier this month reported that the negotiations, focused on reciprocal tariffs, are part of a broader push to reset economic ties at a time of shifting geopolitical alignments and Pakistan’s efforts to avoid steep US duties on exports.