OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:17 PM – Saturday, July 26, 2025
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stated that the United States and Pakistan were “very close” to a trade deal.
On Friday, Dar met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of President Donald Trump’s August 1st deadline for the “Liberation Day.”
“I think we are very close to finalizing a deal with the U.S.,” Dar said during an appearance at the Atlantic Council think tank. “Our teams have been here in Washington, discussing, having virtual meetings and a committee has been tasked by the prime minister to fine-tune now.”
“It’s not going to be months, not even weeks, I would say days,” he continued.
According to the Office of the U.S. Commerce Representative, the total value of U.S. commerce with Pakistan was over $7.3 billion last year.
The U.S. State Department and Pakistan’s foreign ministry issued separate comments following Rubio’s meeting with Dar, stating that the two discussed the need of strengthening commerce and ties in essential minerals and mining. However, there was no deadline revealed for when the trade deal would be finalized.
The Pakistan foreign ministry also said Dar “appreciated the pivotal role” by Trump and Rubio “in de-escalating tensions between Pakistan and India by facilitating a ceasefire.”
On May 10th, President Trump announced the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Washington held talks with both sides.
The administration has already reached preliminary trade agreements with the Phillipines, Japan, the United Kingdom, China, and Vietnam, and unveiled a “roadmap” for trade negotiations with India. The administration is hoping to announce dozens more before the August 1st deadline.
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