In a major geopolitical development, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new energy partnership with Pakistan — a move that coincided with his administration slapping a 25 per cent tariff and additional penalties on Indian imports.
The announcement, made via Trump’s post on his social media platform, Truth Social, revealed that the US and Pakistan will collaborate on exploring and developing Pakistan’s untapped oil reserves. Trump hinted at the possibility that Pakistan could one day export oil to India under this new partnership.
“We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,” Trump posted. “We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they'll be selling Oil to India some day!”
While Trump did not name any specific companies involved or give a timeline, the announcement follows Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar’s recent statement that a trade deal with the US was nearing finalisation. Dar made the comments after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last Friday.
The energy deal announcement came just hours after Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on a range of Indian imports, with additional trade penalties expected to follow. The new tariffs will come into effect on August 1. The White House cited India’s high trade barriers and its continued import of Russian energy and military hardware as key reasons for the move.
The contrasting developments signal a shifting balance in US economic diplomacy in South Asia, with closer cooperation with Pakistan and rising trade tensions with India.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)