Piyush Goyal to visit US on Monday to push for early trade deal talks

Goyal's visit follows a positive meeting between trade negotiators in New Delhi last week as India and the US step up efforts to resolve tensions and conclude a trade agreement

A delegation headed by commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal is set to visit the United States (US) and hold talks with US officials on Monday, to advance discussion towards achieving ‘early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement’, the commerce department said.

 

Goyal’s visit follows a meeting of the chief negotiators of both countries in New Delhi on September 16. A team of officials led by Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch and an Indian team led by special secretary in the commerce department Rajesh Agrawal met earlier this week. Both sides agreed to intensify efforts to achieve a “mutually beneficial” trade deal, setting aside recent strains in bilateral relations. The meeting was described as ‘positive’.

 

“During the last visit of the team of officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative to India on September 16, 2025, positive discussions were held on various aspects of the trade deal, and it was decided to intensify efforts in this regard,” the statement said.

 

This will be the second meeting between the trade negotiating teams since the US administration last month imposed a punitive 50 per cent tariff on most Indian goods, including a 25 per cent tariff on Russian oil purchases.

 

The talks come against the backdrop of signs of easing tensions between the US and India. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted conciliatory messages on social media earlier this month, expressing optimism about resolving outstanding issues and concluding negotiations for a trade deal at the earliest.

 

In February, Modi and Trump announced their intention to conclude the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement by the autumn of 2025. In recent days, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said a trade deal with the US could be finalised by end-November.