Finance czar courts US investors, touts new tariff framework

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb used a busy day of meetings in Washington, DC to pitch Pakistan as a destination for US capital, spotlighting oil and gas, minerals, agriculture and IT as priority sectors. Meeting Assistant US Treasury Secretary Robert Kaproth and Counsellor Jonathan Greenstein on the sidelines of the IMF–World Bank annual gatherings, he said Pakistan’s macroeconomic indicators are improving under its ongoing IMF programme and regulatory work on virtual assets is advancing.

Aurangzeb described a newly agreed tariff framework with the United States as a potential catalyst for deeper trade ties, and encouraged fast-tracking of major projects. At a separate session with IFC Regional Vice President Riccardo Puliti, he pressed for early financial closure of IFC’s flagship Reko Diq engagement and welcomed the lender’s expanded regional setup in Islamabad.

Addressing the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting on resilience amid policy shifts, the minister called for practical actions to boost economic stability across member states. He put climate finance at the centre of Pakistan’s agenda, urging operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund and related mechanisms to help climate-vulnerable economies.

Aurangzeb also engaged the US-Pakistan Business Council, telling corporate leaders that the private sector must drive growth as the government works to reduce bottlenecks. He expressed confidence that enhanced government-to-government and business-to-business linkages—underpinned by the tariff framework—can unlock sustained investment and jobs in priority industries.