Aurangzeb arrives in US for trade talks

Published Updated

WASHINGTON: Fina­nce Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb arrived in Washington on Saturday evening for a three-day visit during which he is expected to hold talks with US officials on trade, finance and investment.

Pakistan and the US will resume negotiations on Monday (today) on a broader bilateral economic partnership, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

During the visit, Mr Aurangzeb is scheduled to meet officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representatives (USTR), the US Export-Import Bank, the US International Develop­ment Finance Corporation (DFC), and the Inter­nati­onal Monetary Fund (IMF).

A key focus of the visit will be discussions on the framework for a potential bilateral trade agreement aimed at expanding trade and investment between the two countries. The talks are expected to cover tariffs, market access, investment opportunities and broader economic cooperation.

Meetings with the Exim Bank and the DFC are also expected to explore avenues for financing infrastructure, energy and private-sector investment projects in Pakistan.

Mr Aurangzeb’s visit comes as Pakistan and the US officials continue negotiations that began in Washington last week on tariffs affecting Pakistan’s exports and a wider trade agreement. The latest round of talks follows mon­ths of discussions over the global tariff regime annou­nced by US President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2026

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