India-US Continue Trade Deal Talks Amid Ongoing Negotiations

India and the United States have agreed to continue their engagement on a proposed trade agreement, with the government confirming on Friday that the latest round of discussions between officials from both countries wrapped up on April 23 after three days of talks.

On February 7, the two countries had issued a joint statement outlining the framework for an interim trade arrangement aimed at ensuring reciprocal and mutually beneficial commercial ties. That framework also reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing negotiations for a broader India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.

As part of the process to finalise the trade deal, the Indian delegation travelled to Washington, D.C. for in-person discussions with US officials to work out the specifics of the interim pact and advance talks on the larger bilateral trade agreement.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the negotiations covered a wide range of issues, including market access, non-tariff barriers, technical trade regulations, customs procedures, trade facilitation, investment promotion, digital commerce, and alignment on economic security. The ministry said the discussions were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, helping both sides make progress on important issues. It added that India and the US have agreed to remain in close contact to preserve the momentum generated during these talks.

Under the proposed interim arrangement, the United States has reduced tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. Previously, in August last year, Trump had imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff on India, along with an additional 25% penalty linked to India’s purchases of crude oil from Russia.

Yesterday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer described India as “a tough nut to crack.” A February 20 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated the reciprocal tariffs introduced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

India is seeking to reassess and refine portions of the agreement to better protect its interests amid shifting global tariff dynamics. The 12-member Indian team, led by Darpan Jain, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, held extensive discussions with the US delegation headed by Brendan Lynch. According to reports, the three-day negotiations concluded on Wednesday after focusing on key provisions of the proposed pact.

Speaking before the Committee on Ways and Means in the US Congress, Greer said India has historically maintained strong protections for its agricultural sector, making negotiations particularly challenging. At the same time, he noted that there are areas where both sides could reach common ground, citing distillers dried grains (DDGs) as one such example.