US business, congressional delegation visits Pakistan as Islamabad targets $20 billion trade
Hasaan Ali Khan
Published Date: July 28, 2026
Published On: Arab News
A US business and congressional delegation is visiting Pakistan this week to explore investment opportunities across key sectors, in the latest push by Islamabad to deepen economic ties with Washington and attract more American investment.
The visit, facilitated by Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), comes as the government seeks to double bilateral trade with the United States to $20 billion over the next five years while positioning the country as a destination for investment in critical minerals, energy, information technology and manufacturing.
“Facilitated by SIFC, a US business and congressional delegation is visiting Pakistan, marking another step toward strengthening Pakistan-US economic ties,” the council said in a statement on X.
“During the visit, the delegation will explore investment opportunities across priority sectors while engaging with Pakistan’s senior leadership, including the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, federal and provincial officials, and the senior leadership of SIFC.”
The council said the visit underscored the two countries’ “shared commitment … to expanding trade, fostering innovation, and building enduring partnerships that drive sustainable growth and mutual prosperity.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the visiting delegation Pakistan aimed to increase bilateral trade in goods with the United States to $20 billion within five years from $9.4 billion in the last fiscal year.
“Our trade in goods during the last fiscal year reached $9.4 billion,” Dar said. “While encouraging … we are confident that together we can double bilateral trade to $20 billion over the next five years by fully harnessing the complementarity of our economies.”
Dar said more than 80 American companies already operated in Pakistan and highlighted growing investor interest in sectors including artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy and defense. He also urged investors to use the SIFC’s one-window platform to facilitate investment approvals and pointed to the US Export-Import Bank’s $1.25 billion financing for the Reko Diq copper-and-gold mining project as evidence of growing confidence in Pakistan’s economy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately met US Representatives Ryan Zinke and Michael Baumgartner and later hosted a reception for the visiting American business executives. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif invited more US companies to invest in Pakistan, particularly in information technology, agriculture, energy, mining and manufacturing.
The congressional delegation and business executives are scheduled to meet senior federal and provincial officials during their visit as Pakistan seeks to attract greater foreign investment following signs of macroeconomic stabilization after securing an International Monetary Fund bailout last year.
Established in 2023, the SIFC is a civil-military body created to fast-track foreign investment by coordinating approvals across federal and provincial governments. It has identified mining, energy, agriculture, information technology and infrastructure as priority sectors to help drive export-led growth and support Pakistan’s economic recovery.
