Pakistani officials will be visiting the U.S. next week in an effort to reach a deal to lower tariffs imposed against the Asian country, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
Pakistan faces a potential 29% tariff on its exports to America because of a $3 billion trade surplus with the U.S., following the tariffs Trump announced last month against countries around the world.
Trump noted that he would have no interest in making a deal with Pakistan or its neighbor, India, if they were to reignite a war with each other.
The two countries were involved in a conflict for four days earlier this month, using fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery to conduct their worst fighting in decades.
“As you know, we’re very close to making a deal with India,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Friday after departing Air Force One.
Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington recently to advance trade talks, with both sides seeking to sign an interim agreement by early July.
Trump has imposed a 26% tariff on India’s shipments to the U.S.
India is likely to allow U.S. firms to bid for contracts worth over $50 billion, mainly from federal entities, as it negotiates a trade deal with the Trump administration.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
