NEW DELHI — India and the United States are set to begin a fresh round of trade negotiations Tuesday as both countries work to finalize the first phase of a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement.
The talks, scheduled from June 2 to June 4, are expected to focus on finalizing legal text and resolving remaining issues in an interim agreement. Officials have said the broader framework of the deal has already been agreed upon.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said Monday that about 99% of the negotiations have been completed, with only a few issues still under discussion.
“We will very soon announce the signing of the first BTA with the US and continue our conversations on the second phase,” Goyal said.
The first phase of the agreement is expected to cover areas including market access, non-tariff barriers, customs facilitation, investment promotion and economic security cooperation.
Government sources said the talks are also expected to include tariffs imposed under Section 301 of U.S. trade law, with India seeking relief from ongoing investigations and other trade-related concerns.
A trade agreement could give Indian exporters preferential access to the U.S. market compared with competitors from other economies.
The U.S. delegation will be led by chief negotiator Brendan Lynch, while India’s team will be headed by Darpan Jain, additional secretary in the Department of Commerce.
Officials said most of the negotiations have already concluded, but both sides are working through technical issues before formally announcing the first phase of the agreement.
The talks come after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff regime, which had been implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.
Following the ruling, the U.S. administration introduced a uniform 10% tariff on imports from all countries for 150 days beginning Feb. 24, delaying an earlier planned meeting between chief negotiators. (Source: IANS)
