US-Pakistan Trade Talks in Washington Advance Economic Cooperation

By Elaine Pasquini

Washington, DC: A delegation led by Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a productive meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on July 19, 2025.

Both sides were upbeat on positive outcomes of the ongoing and highly anticipated in-person trade talks, expressing satisfaction with the progress in enhancing trade and economic ties. They reaffirmed their commitment to exploring opportunities to strengthen these ties – which are a cornerstone of Pakistan-US bilateral relations – in all possible areas of mutual benefit.

The finance minister emphasized that the US remains Pakistan’s largest trading partner and underscored his country’s interest in expanding cooperation in both traditional and non-traditional sectors, including IT, the tech sector, critical minerals and agriculture in order to foster a mutually beneficial relationship.

Both parties expressed optimism that ongoing trade talks would yield positive outcomes, benefiting the economies of both countries.

The finance minister’s visit followed on the heels of an earlier four-day high-level visit to Washington in July by Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul. This delegation discussed the Reko Diq copper and gold mine venture, along with related energy infrastructure projects.

(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)