By Farrukh Saleem
US President Donald Trump is reshaping global trade dynamics with an aggressive tariff strategy, leveraging America’s $800 billion trade deficit to dictate terms. Unlike many world leaders who react to changing circumstances, Trump has seized the initiative, setting the pace of international trade policy with a clear strategic vision.
For *Pakistan, the US remains a **crucial trade partner, being the **only major economy where Pakistan enjoys a multi-billion-dollar trade surplus. To sustain this advantage, Pakistan must employ *strategic diplomacy, economic rationale, and political leverage with precision.
Trump seeks a political victory to validate his tariff policies before the American electorate. Pakistan can offer him a symbolic yet impactful win by *eliminating tariffs on US electronics, machinery, and electric vehicles (EVs)—categories that accounted for *$350 million in imports last year*. While this move would cost *$17.5 million in revenue*, it could serve as a bargaining chip for *reciprocal tariff reductions on *Pakistan’s $4.2 billion textile exports to the US—a sector employing *40% of the workforce and essential for economic growth.
To secure its trade future, Pakistan must adopt a *data-driven, mutually beneficial approach, ensuring that its economic policies align with both *national interests and Trump’s political agenda.
