Islamabad: Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, has stated that the recent military tensions with India will not have a significant financial impact on the country, and there will be no need for a new economic assessment.
Speaking to Reuters on Monday, the Finance Minister emphasized that despite the military skirmishes, Pakistan’s economy remains stable. He added that the government is optimistic about progress in trade negotiations with the United States in the near term. The discussions could potentially allow Pakistan to import high-quality cotton and soybeans from the US.
Aurangzeb also mentioned that Pakistan is exploring the possibility of importing other commodities, including hydrocarbons, from the United States.
The minister’s remarks come against the backdrop of recent US actions, including the imposition of a 29% tariff on Pakistani products. However, the enforcement of this tariff was deferred for 90 days in April. Currently, Pakistan enjoys a trade surplus of approximately $3 billion with the US, a figure the Trump administration has indicated it intends to reduce.
US President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House on Monday, claimed that he played a key role in reducing tensions between India and Pakistan through trade and tariff diplomacy. ‘I told them we would engage in a lot of trade with you if you stop the conflict. If you don’t, we won’t trade with you,’ Trump stated. ‘People have not used trade the way I have.’
Trump further noted that the US is engaged in ongoing trade negotiations with both India and Pakistan.
According to Pakistan’s state news agency, APP, the country’s Parliamentary Secretary for Industries and Commerce informed the National Assembly on Monday that bilateral trade between Pakistan and the US reached $5.53 billion between July 2024 and March 2025. During this period, Pakistan exported goods worth $4.34 billion to the US while importing products valued at $1.19 billion.
