India-US trade talks: US chief negotiator arriving in India for bilateral discussions

The Trump Administration’s chief negotiator, Brendan Lynch, will arrive in New Delhi tonight for a day-long talk regarding the India-US bilateral trade deal, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted warmly to US President Donald Trump’s positive assessment of trade ties between the two nations.

The US-India trade talks had previously been impacted by the US President Donald Trump imposing a 50% import tariff on Indian goods and services.

Before this, India and the US had held five rounds of negotiations for the bilateral trade deal (BTA), and the sixth round, originally scheduled to be held between August 25 and 26, was postponed following the 50% tariff imposition.

"We have indicated that in the past, also the discussions are going on, the chief negotiator of the US is visiting India tonight and tomorrow will be holding talks to see what can be the picture,” Rajesh Agarwal, India's chief negotiator and a special secretary in the commerce ministry, said on Monday.

He said that while it’s not the sixth round of negotiations, it is definitely discussions on the trade talks and an attempt to reach an agreement between India and the US. He added that the talk may decide the future course of action.

"Tomorrow's talks will be a precursor to the sixth round of negotiations," Agarwal added.

He further said India and the US have been engaged in discussions through virtual mode on a weekly basis.

"There have been discussions going on, but we were not progressing much because the overall environment was not conducive. Now we see there is a window...," Agarwal said.

Lynch is the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.

He oversees the development and implementation of US trade policy with about 15 countries in the region, including management of the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) as well as coordination of activity under Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) with regional partners.

India's exports have been affected following the imposition of 50% tariffs on shipments to the US.

Prime Minister Modi and President Trump exchanged warm messages over the past week, signalling an easing of recent tensions in bilateral ties.

Earlier last week, Trump had taken to Truth Social to say: “I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!”

To which Modi had responded warmly on X, stating: “India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump.”

After weeks of strain in ties over Trump's tough rhetoric following his decision to impose a 50% tariff on India, including 25% for India’s purchases of Russian oil, the relations between the two countries have shown signs of a thaw of late.

India has described the US action of imposing tariffs as "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable".

Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.