ISLAMABAD: The 8th Pakistan-US Trade & Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting is being held on October 18 (Tuesday) in Islamabad.
The US delegation will be led by Ambassador Michael Forman, United States Trade Representative (USTR). The US delegation will include Ambassador David Hale, Matthew Vogel, Deputy USTR & Michael Delaney, AUSTR & Zeba Reyazuddin, Director South & Central Asia, USTR among others.
The Pakistan delegation will be led by Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan and will include Secretary Commerce Azmat Ranjha, Additional Secretary Commerce Asad Hayauddin and Trade Minister at Washington DC Ali Tahir.
TIFA was signed by Pakistan & USA in 2003. TIFA Council is the Apex body tasked with developing trade and investment relations between Pakistan & the United States, and resolving outstanding issues between the two countries. In the upcoming meeting, the two sides will discuss, ways and means to improve access of Pakistani exports to the United States, including textiles, agricultural, and other products, enforcement of intellectual Property Rights in Pakistan, Dispute Resolution mechanisms, opening up of defence procurement by US Government in Afghanistan to Pakistani companies, holding the next Business Opportunities Conference in Pakistan, and other matters.
The Pakistani side will appraise the visiting delegation about the improved economic & security situation in the country, and the pressing need for the US government to revisit its travel advisories regime for US businessmen, as the most critical step towards improving bilateral trade & investment.
The trade volume between the two countries has not been growing in accordance with its potential. It is now time to review these advisories to provide businesses from both sides to connect freely and also put an end to discrimination against Pakistan, which puts us at a competitive disadvantage for exports to the US, vis a vis other countries in the region and the rest of the world.
