Pakistan and the United States have made substantial progress on several provisions of their proposed bilateral reciprocal trade agreement, and only a few technical points remain to be settled with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the American office that leads trade negotiations for Washington. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul gave this assessment at a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, according to a statement issued on Tuesday. The commerce minister also met US Chargé d'Affaires Natalie A Baker, who acts as head of mission when an ambassador is not in post, to review bilateral economic ties. Both sides said they remain committed to a mutually beneficial outcome.
Market access for farm goods
The talks covered Pakistani agricultural exports, particularly mangoes and dates. Paul asked for the early visit of relevant US inspection teams so that mango export arrangements can move forward, and he sought progress on the pending market access process for dates. He said wider access would open export opportunities for growers, especially in Balochistan. The US delegation said it would follow up with the relevant American authorities.
The two sides also explored more American farm exports to Pakistan, including cotton and soybeans. Paul stressed competitive pricing and trade financing, the payment and credit arrangements that make imports workable, and possible financing options were discussed. Kamal Khan encouraged American companies to consider investment in modern farm machinery, food processing, cold-chain infrastructure and better farming methods. He invited US businesses and agricultural organisations to take part in FoodAg 2026 in Karachi from November 23 to 26.
Minerals and next steps
Minerals and mining also featured in the discussions, with both sides exploring investment, technical cooperation, skills development and responsible resource development. Kamal Khan named dates, olive oil and other farm products as promising areas for value addition and export growth in Balochistan. The US chargé d'affaires welcomed Pakistan's efforts to promote agricultural trade and expressed interest in helping American agricultural technology companies connect with Pakistani businesses.
No date for concluding the agreement was given in the statement. The remaining issues are technical and will be taken up with the USTR. The mango inspection visits and the pending dates market access process are the most concrete items raised, but no timeline was announced for either.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan aur America ke darmiyan tijarti muahide (trade deal) par kaafi kaam ho chuka hai, aur sirf kuch takneeki nukaat baqi hain. Agar ye muahida mukammal hota hai to Pakistani aam aur khajoor ki America ko barraamad ka rasta behtar ho sakta hai, khaas tor par Balochistan ke kisanon ke liye. Abhi is baat cheet se qeemat, bill ya safar mein koi fori tabdeeli nahi aayi hai. Mazeed faisle USTR ke saath baat cheet ke baad hi honge.
