ISLAMABAD:
Former caretaker federal minister for commerce Gohar Ejaz has proposed that Pakistan and the United States begin negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), suggesting that open market access and tariff reductions would be mutually beneficial.
In a statement, Ejaz said that Pakistan could allow duty-free imports of American goods as part of a broader trade agreement, while also seeking cuts in tariffs and taxes imposed on Pakistani exports to the US.
Just a day before Ejaz’s statement, Trump imposed a baseline 10% tariff on nearly all US imports and levied even steeper duties on key trade partners – including a 29% tariff on Pakistani goods. He accused Islamabad of slapping 58% tariffs on American products.
The former caretaker minister also noted that one of the major objections from Washington has been the high tariff barriers Pakistan maintains on American products. “The United States has consistently complained that Pakistan does not allow its products free access to local markets,” he said.
