Piyush Goyal, US counterpart begin trade talks in Delhi; Gor says 'moving decisively toward finalising deal'

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday began bilateral talks in New Delhi to push forward negotiations for the first phase of the proposed India-US trade agreement.

The meeting, underway at Vanijya Bhawan, is being attended by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain, who is also Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce.

The talks come weeks after chief negotiator-level discussions were held in New Delhi from June 2 to 4 and amid indications from both governments that they are close to finalising the pact.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, welcoming Greer on his arrival, said in a post on X that the two countries are “moving decisively toward finalizing a strong bilateral trade agreement” that would deepen the economic partnership and create new opportunities for both sides.

Agrawal had said on June 15 that the discussions between Goyal and Greer were expected to focus on giving final touches to the framework deal.

US President Donald Trump, too, had said on June 17 that India and the US were “very close” to finalising the agreement.

The trade negotiations got a major push last week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump, during a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, asked officials to work towards concluding a “balanced, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful” bilateral trade agreement at the earliest.

After the Modi-Trump meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders noted “significant progress” in negotiations towards an interim bilateral trade agreement and directed officials to expedite the process.

India and the US had in February finalised the contours of the first phase of the pact, but subsequent changes in the US tariff regime have led to a reassessment of some elements of the framework.

The interim agreement has gained urgency as the existing US tariff regime, under which a 10% duty has been imposed on imports from all countries for 150 days from February 24, is due to expire on July 24.

Goyal said India was seeking a competitive advantage for its exporters over rival nations in the proposed agreement.

“For the US trade deal talks, tomorrow my counterpart is coming to Delhi,” he had told reporters in Mumbai on Monday.

Apart from market access and tariff issues, the negotiations are also taking place against the backdrop of a proposed US action under Section 301 of the US Trade Act, under which India could face additional duties over alleged gaps in its forced labour import prohibition regime.

The US Trade Representative has proposed an additional tariff of 12.5% on imports from economies, including India, that it says do not have an effective prohibition on the import of goods produced with forced labour.

India has contested the probe and told the USTR that the investigation does not meet the legal threshold for initiation under Section 301.

The Commerce Ministry has said the proposed tariffs are not final and that the USTR will take a final call after considering stakeholder comments and testimony.