WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2023) Top US and Pakistani officials discussed easing trade barriers including on agricultural products, according to a joint statement issued after the dialogue.
"Both sides expressed their intent to enhance engagement on market access and the reduction of barriers for additional agricultural products," the release said on Thursday. "Pakistan welcomed the ongoing engagement on market access for its mangoes and fresh dates, and asked the US to review additional market access requests for agricultural products once the current work is complete."
During the session, chaired by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Pakistani Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, the two sides also discussed IP, labor rights, and digital trade, among other topics.
"The US appreciated the efforts by Pakistan to improve worker rights and protections and strengthen its intellectual property regime. Both sides affirmed the importance of an effective IP regime, achieving high labor standards, and following good regulatory practices," the release added.
The release also said the US welcomed the conclusion of technical work on market access for beef from the United States.
The Pakistan Embassy in Washington said Qamar also held a virtual interaction with tech entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley.
Pakistan's commerce chief assured them of Islamabad's continued support for facilitating their investments, the embassy said in a tweet.
The embassy told Reuters two-way trade between the United States and Pakistan now totals $12 billion.
The session marked the ninth meeting under the US-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA), which will reconvene in Islamabad next year.
