Anwar Iqbal
July 19, 2026
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 United States will resume negotiations on Monday on a broader bilateral economic partnership, diplomatic sources told
Dawn.
During his visit, Aurangzeb is scheduled to meet officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the US Export-Import Bank, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), sources said.
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.
Aurangzeb’s visit comes as Pakistani and US officials continue negotiations over the global tariff regime
announced by US President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which initially imposed a 29 per cent tariff on Pakistani exports.
A Pakistani delegation that
visited Washington in July 2025 succeeded in persuading US officials to reduce the proposed tariff from 29 per cent to 19pc.