A team of senior Indian officials will visit the United States (US) this week for trade talks, with negotiations on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) progressing positively, news agency PTI reported, citing a top government official.
The BTA was initiated in February after leaders of India and the US directed officials to negotiate the pact. The first tranche of the agreement is planned to be concluded by the fall of 2025 (October-November). So far, five rounds of negotiations have been completed.
“The Indian team will visit this week. Negotiations are going in a positive direction. Both sides are of the view that talks should be fast-tracked,” the official added.
Last month, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal led an official delegation to New York for trade discussions. During the visit, India and the US agreed to continue negotiations for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial agreement. Goyal met with US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor to discuss key trade issues.
These talks come amid tensions following the previous Trump administration’s imposition of steep tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent additional duty on Russian crude oil. India has described these duties as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” while Indian industry has also raised concerns over H1B visa policies.
However, recent phone conversations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have raised hopes for a positive outcome.
After a brief pause, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch met Indian officials in New Delhi on September 16 to push for an early and mutually beneficial conclusion of the agreement. The sixth round of talks, initially scheduled from August 25-29, was postponed following the imposition of the high import duties.
On energy cooperation, the official said India may require more gas from the US in the long run. Goyal has previously stated that India expects to expand trade in energy products, with US involvement critical to the country’s energy security goals.
The proposed BTA aims to more than double bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030 from the current USD 191 billion, PTI reported.
The US has been India’s largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at USD 131.84 billion, including USD 86.5 billion in exports.
Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor, a senior White House official and close aide of President Trump, stated on social media platform X that he discussed economic ties and increased investment between the two countries during his recent visit to India.
(With PTI inputs)
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/india-us-trade-talks-2025-delegation-to-visit-america-as-negotiations-progress-23598523