Page 2 - Trade Deal

India, US chief negotiators to hold four-day trade talks from June 1

The chief negotiators of the US and India will begin four-day talks here on Monday on finalising the details of the interim trade pact, whose framework was agreed upon in February. The US team will be led by its chief negotiator Brendan Lynch. India's chief negotiator is Darpan Jain, who is an additional secretary in the Department of Commerce. The two sides are "proposed to finalise the details of the interim agreement and take forward the negotiations under the broader BTA on multiple areas such as market access, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, and economic security alignment," the commerce ministry has said. On February 7, India and the US issued a joint statement finalising the contours or framework of the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) or an interim trade agreement. Now, both sides will have to finalise the legal text for that deal. The framework reaffirmed the countries' commitment to the broader India-US BTA ...

Piyush Goyal assured industry India-US interim agreement is close: USISPF

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal gave assurances that the India-US interim agreement is close as he provided an "encouraging update" on bilateral trade negotiations during an interaction with eminent business leaders, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) said. Goyal also discussed ways to further deepen India-US trade, investment and supply-chain partnerships during the closed-door roundtable interaction on Thursday. The Consulate General of India in New York, in collaboration with USISPF, hosted Goyal for the closed-door roundtable discussion, where he engaged with over 50 prominent business and industry leaders. Goyal said he highlighted India's strong growth story, reform-driven business environment, and expanding opportunities for global investors under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Discussed ways to further deepen India-US trade, investment, innovation, and supply-chain partnerships for shared prosperity," he said in a post on X. USI

India-Korea to expand CEPA talks on digital trade, supply chains

India and South Korea have expanded CEPA upgrade talks by forming new groups on digital trade, supply chains and strategic industries to address trade imbalances and deepen economic ties

India, US industry clash at USTR hearings over subsidies and overcapacity

American industry groups sought punitive tariffs on Indian goods at USTR hearings, while Indian officials defended the country's manufacturing growth as demand-led and WTO-compliant

Sitharaman, US envoy Gor discuss deepening India-US economic partnership

The finance minister and US Ambassador Sergio Gor discussed fintech collaboration, investment opportunities and bilateral economic ties amid ongoing trade negotiations

Govt working on FTA utilisation plan to maximise benefits for businesses

With India signing a series of free trade agreements with developed countries, the government is working on an FTA utilisation plan to help maximise benefits from these pacts, an official said. Since 2021, India has finalised free trade agreements (FTAs) with Mauritius, Australia, the UAE, Oman, New Zealand, the EFTA (European Free Trade Association), the European Union (EU), the UK and US. These pacts cover 38 countries whose combined global imports stand at about USD 12 trillion. The main Indian sectors that have received duty-free market access in these FTA partner countries include agriculture, textiles and apparel, gems and jewellery, leather and leather goods, engineering, electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has held a series of meetings with industry associations, businesses and export promotion councils (EPCs) on ways to increase utilisation of these agreements. He suggested that businesses leverage these pacts to boost .

Court setbacks to Trump tariffs may delay BTA talks with India: Experts

Repeated setbacks faced by US President Donald Trump in American courts have further heightened uncertainty over the US tariff regime, and India should wait for the United States to evolve a more stable and legally predictable trade framework before moving ahead with the proposed bilateral trade agreement, experts said. They said that this ruling is a crucial reminder that Trump's global tariffs violated WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules, and their striking down by US courts is a positive signal for multilateral trade norms. In another setback to the White House, a US federal court has struck down the 10 per cent global tariffs slapped by Trump, terming them "invalid" and "unauthorised by law". These new tariffs were imposed by Trump on all countries, including India, on February 24 for 150 days following an earlier US Supreme Court verdict that struck down his earlier sweeping levies. "The continuing uncertainty around US tariff policy, with major Trump-era tariffs repeatedly .

India, US 'very, very close' to signing trade deal, says Trump official

India and the US are "very, very close" to signing the trade deal and need to get over "that last hurdle", US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Tuesday. Landau said that India and the US have been negotiating for months and it was important for the two sides to "reach some closure" and move on with the many other issues on the agenda. "We are very aware of India's importance on the world stage. I think it is very important to get a final resolution of that trade deal. We have been talking now for months that we are very close, and I think we are very close. But we have to get over that last hurdle," Landau told reporters on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbour in Maryland near here. "I don't have any huge inside information to provide on when that is coming, but I can just reiterate that I believe that we are very, very close," said Landau, who recently visited India. "I think ultimately it's important that we reach some closure on

India, US make 'progress' on interim trade deal, BTA negotiations

India and the US are engaged in discussions aimed at reaching a balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement, said a spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs on Thursday

Trade talks with US remain constructive after Washington visit: MEA

The comments followed a three-day ​visit to Washington by an Indian trade delegation led by senior commerce ministry official ‌Darpan Jain for talks with US counterparts

Weekly policy watch: US trade talks, infra output in focus this week

India's policy calendar for April 20-26 is packed with key events including US trade talks, flash PMI data and infrastructure output, offering cues on growth, demand and policy direction

India, US chief negotiators to begin 3-day trade pact talks from April 20

About a dozen officers from India will reach Washington on April 20 for three-day talks with the US authorities on the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA), an official said. As the tariff landscape has changed in the US, both sides may like to relook at the framework of the agreement, the text of which was released on February 7. Following the decision of the US Supreme Court against the sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on a number of countries, the Trump administration imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all countries from February 24 for 150 days. "The meeting will happen from April 20-22 in Washington DC. India's chief negotiator Darpan Jain (additional secretary in the department of commerce) is leading the team. Officers from customs and external affairs ministry are also part of the Indian team," the official said. Further, the two unilateral investigations launched by the US Trade Representative (USTR) may also figure in the three-day ...

European Parliament approves US trade deal but adds safeguard clauses

The European Parliament voted Thursday to approve a trade deal between Washington and Brussels but with amendments added to protect European interests should the United States fail to hold up its end of the bargain. The deal was negotiated last July in Turnberry, Scotland, by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It set a 15 per cent tariff on most goods in an effort to stave off far higher import duties on both sides that might have sent shock waves through economies around the globe. New language now says that the deal can be suspended if Washington "undermined the objectives of the deal, discriminated against EU economic operators, threatened member states' territorial integrity, foreign and defence policies, or engaged in economic coercion." That clause was forged because of the tensions over Greenland, said Bernd Lange, a German lawmaker and head of the EU's parliamentary trade committee. Trump drew widespread condemnation across th

Europe, Australia agree to free trade deal to boost ties, defy US

The conclusion of negotiations for the agreement was announced by Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Ursula von der Leyen, the EU's top executive

'Excited' about India trade deal: US dy secy of state Christopher Landau

Says US not to make same mistakes with India as it did with China

Beyond Uranium: Why India-Canada trade matters more than one thinks

Prime Minister Carney's visit spotlights the untapped potential in India-Canada trade, highlighting opportunities in energy, technology, agriculture, and expanding markets for mutual growth

Indonesia signs trade deal with Trump admin, tariffs slashed to 19%

Indonesian coffee, chocolate, natural rubber and spices would be tariff-free, the Jakarta government said

India sheds defensive stance, negotiates future-focused trade deals: Goyal

Piyush Goyal says India has moved beyond apologetic trade talks, using FTAs as strategic tools to secure long-term economic gains while protecting sensitive sectors

Farmers' interests safeguarded in India-US trade deal, reiterates Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the recent India-US trade deal was finalised after careful consideration and the government has ensured that no decision would harm the farming community. Speaking at a programme in Jaipur, he said, "I am speaking with full responsibility as the Agriculture Minister of India. In the trade agreement, we have taken complete care of the interests of Indian farmers. It has been ensured that there will be no loss for India's farming community," he said. On imports, Chouhan said the country has to bring in the things it need. "Even today, we are not self-sufficient when it comes to pulses. If something that we need comes from another country, what is the objection?" he asked. Similarly, he said, India imports around 5.5 lakh metric tonnes of apples. "They come from countries like Turkey and Iran. If one lakh metric tonnes come from the United States, after ensuring that it does not affect our farmers, what is the problem?"

Rahul Gandhi to lead Congress rally against India-US trade deal in Punjab

The Congress will hold a rally over the issue of India-US trade deal in Punjab and it will be attended by Rahul Gandhi, said senior party leader Bhupesh Baghel here on Monday evening. Baghel said the rally is expected to be held either on February 28 or March 1. He said Rahul has been opposing the India-US trade deal in Lok Sabha and outside Lok Sabha and adding that he has already been raising farmers' related issues. "The fight over this issue (India-US trade deal) will begin from Punjab. A big rally will be held in which Rahul ji and other party leaders will be present," said Baghel. To a question on Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking Gandhi to debate this issue, Baghel said, "Amit Shah wants to hold a debate. We will come there. Farmers will come. You decide the time and place." Rahul has been attacking the BJP-led government and accusing it of a sell-out through the India-US trade deal and on Sunday he posed a string of questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged