WASHINGTON, May 31 (APP): President Donald Trump said Friday that representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week as Islamabad seeks to make a deal on tariffs.
Pakistan and the US formally kicked off negotiations on reciprocal tariffs, when Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Trump’s Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, began talks via a call on Friday, Khurram Schehzad, an adviser to the finance minister said on X.
Pakistan is facing the prospect of a 29 percent tariff on its exports to the US due to a $3 billion trade surplus, under tariffs Washington announced last month on multiple countries. Tariffs were subsequently suspended for 90 days so negotiations could take place.
The US is Pakistan’s largest export destination and the new duties threatened to undermine Islamabad’s fragile economic recovery.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington, Trump also warned he would not be willing to strike any trade deal with India or Pakistan if the two countries engage in military action.
“And India, as you know, we’re very close to making a deal with India. And I wouldn’t have any interest in making a deal with either (Pakistan and India) if they were going to be at war with each other. I want that and I let them know,” he added.
The developments follow a recent military confrontation between Pakistan and India that followed New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad — without evidence — about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s resort of Pahalgam.
Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal recently visited Washington to advance negotiations, with both sides aiming to sign an interim agreement by early July.
India currently faces 26 percent tariffs on its shipments to the US.