Pak, US trade set new record of $6.6 billion in 2018: US embassy

The US embassy has said that Pakistan and the United States set a new record of $6.6 billion in bilateral trade in 2018.

In a statement issued here on the eve of New Year, the US embassy stated that for over 70 years, America has partnered with Pakistan to further Pakistan's development priorities, including, in energy sector, healthcare for vulnerable populations, women's empowerment, education and teacher training, support to law enforcement, and private sector development.

To showcase many facets of America's commitment to Pakistan, the US Mission to Pakistan launched a new social media campaign and hash tag Partners4Prosperity on Tuesday.

Over the next six months, the Mission will use its social media platforms to highlight key facts and events about the US-Pakistan partnership. "We also encourage our Pakistani social media fans to share their perspectives on the US-Pakistan relationship under the hash tag USPAKStories," it added.

In a New Year's video message released on Tuesday, US Ambassador Paul Jones said, "For 72 years, the United States and Pakistan have partnered for the prosperity of our peoples. This six-month campaign will highlight all that we have done - and continue to do - together. It will also demonstrate our continued commitment to this valued partnership between our nations."

The embassy further stated that the United States and Pakistan set a new record of $6.6 billion in bilateral trade in 2018. America is Pakistan's top export market. Since 2011, it added that the US assistance has added over 3,500 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, powering 42 million Pakistanis - over 20 percent of the population.

"America funded the restoration of such national treasures as the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, the Varun Dev Temple in Karachi, and the Man Singh Haveli in Jhelum," it stated, adding that over 9.7 million women and children received maternal, child, and reproductive health care through American programs.

It further stated that the United States has trained over 14,000 Pakistani farmers at 50 sites across four provinces in water management and is now helping farmers adopt these practices and technologies.