Pakistan, April 4 -- It was never a question of if but when. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump intensified the ongoing global trade war with yet another announcement imposing a 29% tariff on Pakistani exports, citing Pakistan's 58% tariff on American goods. But while dozens of other countries on the Trump list might be ready for this new skirmish, Pakistan cannot afford to sleep through yet another alarm.

For decades, Pakistan has relied on a narrow and fragile export base, with textiles dominating the trade portfolio. In 2023, textiles made up nearly 79% of Pakistan's exports to the U.S., a level of dependency that should have raised alarms long ago. Now, the price of inaction is coming due. The tariff threatens to cripple a sector...