Secretary Commerce of United States Penny Pritzker called on Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan and discussed plans to expand bilateral trade and investment flows into Pakistan. The areas of co-operation include diversifying agricultural production, increasing trade in services, promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing intellectual property protection and increasing dialogue between our respective private sectors.
US Secretary of Commerce said it is important for the two sides to work together to raise economic relationship to make it more commensurate with the general relationship between the two countries. She said the US wants long-term economic relationship with Pakistan and the Business Opportunities Conference is an important step in that direction. She praised the efforts of the government to modernise infrastructure. According to her, such government endeavours have convinced foreign investors that Pakistan is open to business. She hoped that with permanent head and Board of Intellectual Property Organisation in place there will be greater intellectual property protection in Pakistan. Dastgir apprised the US delegation about a conducive environment for profitable trade and investment that exists in the emerging economy of Pakistan. He said the policies of the government are pro-development and predictable which had boosted investor confidence.
He said Pakistan has a huge investment potential in various sectors, including energy, infrastructure and agriculture. The holding of Pak-US Economic Partnership Week truly reflected the commitment of leadership of both governments towards further expansion of trade and investment relations, he said.
The Minister said the US is Pakistan's largest trading partner but Pakistan is vying for enhanced and preferential market access to the US market to boost its exports to US which currently stood at $3.7 billion. The US GSP expired 19 months ago; therefore alternate means of trade facilitation may be introduced to provide enhanced access to Pakistan's exports to the US markets, the minister said.-PR
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