A delegation led by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to travel to Washington next week to resume negotiations on a trade deal, according to two officials familiar with the development.
The move follows a visit by the US team, headed by Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, to New Delhi earlier this week to meet his Indian counterpart.
Official sources said the discussions would also continue at the political level during meetings between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) next week. Jaishankar’s travel plans to the US are being finalised, with an official announcement pending.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, noted that the US delegation had met the Ministry of Commerce on 16th September to advance ongoing trade negotiations. The discussions were described as positive and forward-looking, covering multiple aspects of the proposed trade deal, with both sides agreeing to intensify efforts to reach an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial agreement.
The upcoming talks in Washington will mark the resumption of negotiations that were stalled following US President Donald Trump’s announcement last month of increased tariffs on Indian imports, including a doubling to 50% on purchases of Russian oil.
Indian exporters, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, footwear, and fisheries, have already experienced the impact of the tariffs, including cancelled orders from the US.
On 19th September, Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran indicated that the additional 25% US tariffs on Indian imports related to Russian oil would not remain in place beyond 30 November.
Signs of easing trade tensions emerged earlier this month when Trump stated that India and the US were continuing negotiations to address trade barriers and expressed confidence in a successful outcome. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described India and the US as “natural partners” working together to secure a more prosperous future.
Meanwhile, the US has called on G7 countries to increase pressure on nations purchasing Russian oil to end the war in Ukraine. A joint statement from the US Department of the Treasury said that G7 countries had provided “commitments” to intensify sanctions pressure on Russian oil buyers, noting that China and India are among the top purchasers.
