India, US Reaffirm Commitment To Conclude Mutually Beneficial Trade Pact
The two teams held constructive and positive discussions across a wide range of issues, covering trade in goods, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, economic security alignment and other areas of mutual interest
New Delhi: The government on Thursday said that India and the US moved closer to the interim trade deal after four days of talks held in New Delhi. It further said that trade negotiations between both the nations were constructive and positive, according to the commerce ministry.
"The engagements were marked by a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to concluding a mutually beneficial agreement that strengthens bilateral trade and economic ties," the ministry said in a statement.
The discussions were held between the US team, led by chief negotiator Brendan Lynch and India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain, an additional secretary in the department of commerce. The US delegation visited India from 1–4 June 2026 to advance discussions on the trade agreement. The government, however, did not give the timeframe of singing the deal between the two countries.
According to the ministry, discussions covered a broad range of issues, including trade in goods, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, economic security alignment, and other areas of mutual interest. The latest round of talks comes amid growing optimism that the first tranche of the agreement could be finalised soon. Last week, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the two sides were in the final stages of negotiations, with only about 1 per cent of the agreement left to be resolved.
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal also said that most issues had been settled and that discussions were largely focused on finalising minor details. He also expressed hope that the first phase of the BTA would be concluded soon, while negotiations for a more comprehensive trade arrangement would continue.
While the sources have indicated that India is seeking relief from tariff actions linked to Section 301 investigations and preferential market access for Indian exports relative to competing countries.However, the sources also suggested that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer could visit India once the broad contours of the agreement are finalised.
As per the ministry, India and the US had issued a joint statement on February 7, 2026 agreeing on a framework for an Interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. "The framework reaffirmed the country’ s commitment to the broader India-US bilateral trade agreement negotiations," the ministry said.
During the visit, it said, the teams held constructive and positive discussions across a wide range of issues covering trade in goods, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, economic security alignment and other areas of mutual interest.
Meanwhile, US secretary of state Marco Rubio indicated that the deal will be signed soon. Calling India an important strategic ally of the US, he said that the trade negotiations between the 2 countries are close to getting done.
