India held constructive meetings with US Govt, early conclusion of trade deal soon

The Indian delegation, led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, returned from the United States of America after holding trade talks with their American counterparts in New York.

The delegation visited the US from 22-24th September, and the Commerce Minister had meetings with Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative, and Sergio Gor, US Ambassador-designate to India.

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Apart from meetings with the US Government representatives on bilateral trade matters, the delegation held discussions with key US-based businesses and investors on promoting trade and investment between India and the United States, according to a Commerce & Industry Ministry statement.

The team had arrived in New York on Monday to hold talks over the proposed trade agreement between the two countries.

The talks are taking place at various levels, encompassing both trade and non-trade issues. Minister Goyal was accompanied by senior officials from the ministry, including Special Secretary and India’s chief negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal.

The delegation had constructive meetings with the US Government on various aspects of the deal.

Both sides exchanged views on possible contours of the deal, and it was decided to continue the engagements with a view to achieving early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement.

The meetings with businesses and investors evoked a positive response. The business leaders reposed confidence in the India growth story and expressed their desire to intensify their business activities in India, the ministry added.

Recently, at a media event, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the endgame of the India-US trade deal looks near this time.

Shah said the government was determined to maintain the momentum of economic growth while navigating the complexities of international trade.

Notably, the last official negotiation round, the sixth so far, was to have taken place in New Delhi during the last week of August. However, this was called off in the wake of the reciprocal and penalty tariffs the US imposed on imports from India.