Overview
- A U.S. delegation led by Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker met Pakistan’s commerce team on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, to review negotiation progress and agree to agency-level follow up and further talks.
- Pakistan’s commerce officials said substantial progress has been made on many provisions of a proposed reciprocal trade agreement but a few technical issues must be resolved with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative before the deal can be closed.
- Two-way goods and services trade reached an estimated USD 11.5 billion in 2025, driven by a 48.4 percent rise in U.S. exports to Pakistan, a fact negotiators cited as a commercial case for deeper engagement.
- Officials pressed for expedited U.S. inspection visits to allow mango exports and sought a resolution of the pending market access process for Pakistani dates while also discussing U.S. supplies of cotton and soybeans, competitive pricing and trade financing arrangements.
- Talks also covered mineral investment and industrial opportunities in Hub, Balochistan, and flagged disruptions to land routes to Afghanistan and Central Asia as a barrier to export growth that will need parallel logistical and institutional fixes.