Pakistan to send high-level delegation for trade talks with US

• PM Shehbaz briefed on steering committee report.
• Business leaders to join US-bound delegation.
• Embassy in Washington maintains active engagement.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to dispatch a high-level delegation to the United States for negotiations aimed at enhancing bilateral trade relations and addressing concerns related to newly imposed US tariffs on Pakistani imports.

The decision was taken on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a review meeting held in Islamabad on Wednesday with the huddle focusing on increasing national exports and discussing the Washington's recent tariff measures.

The delegation will include prominent business figures and leading exporters, reflecting the government’s intent to engage key stakeholders in shaping a mutually beneficial path forward.

The PM has tasked the delegation with negotiating the newly introduced tariffs and developing a long-term strategy to safeguard and expand Pakistan’s trade interests.

Islamabad's move follows Washington's last week announcement of a 29% duty on goods from Pakistan in response to a 58% tariff on US products charged by Pakistan.

Pakistani exports to the US, as per a senior official at the Ministry of Commerce, will now face a total tariff of 39%, comprising a 10% baseline import duty and a 29% reciprocal tariff.

The US is Pakistan’s largest single-country export market, with exports valued at approximately $6 billion annually, predominantly textiles.

Following President Donald Trump's announcement, PM Shehbaz had constituted a 12-member steering committee to deal with the reciprocal tariffs.

Meanwhile, Initial estimates suggest that the said duties might cost Islamabad between $500 to $700 million.

Today's meeting, chaired by PM Shehbaz, was attended by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Ali Pervaiz Malik, as well as PM's Adviser Syed Tauqir Shah, Special Assistants Tariq Fatemi and Haroon Akhtar, Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, and other senior officials.

During the huddle, the premier was briefed on the findings of the steering committee and the working group formed to assess the impact of the new tariffs. Various alternative strategies were presented to the forum.

Officials informed the meeting that Pakistan's embassy in Washington is in constant contact with the US administration regarding the issue.

PM Shehbaz reiterated that Pakistan values its decades-old trade ties with the United States and seeks to further strengthen this strategic partnership.

He emphasised that the delegation must ensure all relevant business leaders and exporters are part of the dialogue process.

'Desire to work with Trump'

The announcement of Pakistan sending a delegation to the US comes hours after PM Shehbaz — during a meeting with a US team led by Senior Bureau official and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the US Department of State Eric Meyer — reiterated that his government's wish to work with President Trump.

The meeting came on the sidelines of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum which was attended by the US delegation.

During their interaction, the PM welcomed US participation at the forum and emphasised that Pakistan’s minerals sector presented immense opportunities, encouraging US companies to invest in that priority sector.

He underscored the significance of Pakistan-US relations not only in the bilateral context but also for regional peace and security as well as enhanced cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment and counter-terrorism.

Meanwhile, Meyer acknowledged the potential of Pakistan’s mineral sector and conveyed the interest of the US companies in investing in the minerals sector. He also expressed the US desire to work with Pakistan on issues of shared interest.