ISLAMABD:

Pakistan has been celebrating the "comparatively lower tariffs" it faces in the United States compared to India and Bangladesh. While India faces a 25% tariff (expected to rise to 50%) and Bangladesh 20%, Pakistan's exports are subject to a 19% additional tariff.

Here's the reality: 19% is not low. It is still a heavy burden for our struggling exports, which remain heavily dependent on favours from our largest export market. But 19% looks slightly better than the rates imposed on neighbouring countries like India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. And given our tendency to measure ourselves through others' lenses, we celebrate, even if the difference is just 1% in the case of Bangladesh.

Now let's put this into perspective with some numbers. In 2024, India's exports to the US were $77.5

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