By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is deploying a high-level delegation to Washington to negotiate relief from punishing US tariffs that have pushed duties on its exports to 39 percent, threatening a bilateral trade relationship worth $6 billion annually, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said on Wednesday.
The move comes after President Donald Trump imposed a 29 percent reciprocal tariff on Pakistani goods April 2, retaliating against Islamabad’s 58 percent duty on American imports. Combined with an existing 10 percent baseline levy, the total tariff on Pakistani exports now stands at 39 percent—a blow to a nation that sends over a third of its shipments, primarily textiles, to its largest single-country market.
Prime Minister Sharif ordered the delegation — comprising government officials, exporters, and business leaders — to secure a “mutually beneficial” resolution, according to a statement.
“The delegation has been tasked by the prime minister to work out a mutually beneficial course of action for the future after negotiations on the new tariffs imposed by the US on imports.”
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Foreign Affairs Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi attended Wednesday’s strategy session to discuss the trade tariff imposed by the US.
“Trade relations between Pakistan and America span decades,” Sharif was quoted as saying in the statement. “The government is keen to further strengthen trade partnership with the US.”
The tariffs risk slashing $500 million to $700 million from Pakistan’s export revenues, media reports show. The US accounts for 18 percent of Pakistan’s exports but just 4.5 percent of its imports, underscoring the asymmetry.
A 12-member steering committee, formed after President Trump’s tariff announcement, presented alternative strategies during the meeting. While specifics weren’t disclosed, the delegation aims to recalibrate trade terms.
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