Trump announces official US visit by Pakistani delegation next week for trade talks

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that a Pakistani delegation will visit Washington next week for trade talks, as Islamabad seeks to negotiate a deal to avoid looming tariffs on its exports.

Pakistan currently faces the threat of tariffs of up to 29% on its exports, following the US government's recent imposition of global trade levies, citing a $3 billion trade surplus with Islamabad.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after disembarking Air Force One, President Trump remarked that if a conflict were to erupt between Pakistan and India, he would no longer be interested in pursuing trade agreements with either country.

This statement comes in the wake of heightened tensions between the two South Asian neighbors.

In early May, India launched airstrikes inside Pakistan, after a militant attack in the Pahalgam region of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), an accusation Pakistan has denied and which was not backed by evidence.

The strikes resulted in civilian casualties. In retaliation, Pakistan shot down five Indian fighter jets.

Read: Trump threatens Apple, Samsung with 25% tariff if they manufacture phones in India

Escalations peaked when India deployed drones on May 8, prompting both sides to conduct strikes on each other’s airbases. A ceasefire was eventually agreed upon on May 10.

While trade negotiations between Washington and Islamabad are underway, Trump said he is also “very close” to finalising a trade deal with India.

Meanwhile, a report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) warned that the potential reimposition of US tariffs on Pakistani goods, which are temporarily suspended, could severely impact the country’s export sector, with estimated annual losses ranging between $1.1 billion and $1.4 billion. The think tank emphasised the urgent need for Pakistan to diversify its economy to withstand such external shocks.

The US tariff structure, implemented on April 2, includes a 10% base tariff on all trading partners, along with additional reciprocal duties targeting both adversaries and allies.