Shehbaz-Rubio meeting

Meeting takes place in the midst of decision on tariffs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace on the same day as the US Supreme Court ruled that US President Trump had imposed sanctions illegally under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on countries across the world.Pakistan has also been at the receiving end of the tariffs, and the talks Mr Sharif had with Mr Rubio dealt with mining, US investment in Pakistan, and anti-terrorism cooperation. It should be noted that Pakistan runs a trade surplus with the USA, and it is only under the threat of tariffs that it took two major steps to reduce that deficit: the first was the import of US crude oil, the second was the export of rare-earth ores to the USA. The second did not reduce the Pakistani surplus, but it did provide the USA with a source of rare-earth ores, which it had been seeking, with Mr Trump suggesting that Ukraine ‘pay’’ in ores the expenses of the USA on its defense against Russia, and his demand for Greenland is at least partially based on its rare-earth mineral wealth.

It seems that Pakistan might have over-estimated the presidential power of imposing tariffs, and may now have to recalibrate its policy to the USA. It might find that the praise showered by Mr Trump at the meeting itself is not worth much as it does not translate into any tangible benefits for Pakistan. Though the USA has approached Pakistan after the Indo-Pak conflict last summer, and though it seems to have absorbed the lesson that India will be of no help against China, Pakistan has done its best in the post-tariff world to show that it is useful.

Mr Trump has said that he will use other paths to the imposition of tariffs. His remarks about feeling betrayed by the judges he named to the Court verge on contempt, but his claim that he would use alternative authorities has been lessened, for there is no guarantee that he can impose tariffs that can stick. Pakistan will be one of many countries that may feel that they have attempted too hard to deal with an irrational, obstreperous individual, who does not enjoy the untrammelled, unchecked powers he claims he had.