US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has confirmed that an Indian trade delegation will be travelling to the United States this week for negotiations on the Bilateral Trade Agreement.
He described the development as a significant step towards finalising the deal, noting in a post on X that the agreement would be a “win-win” for both nations.
The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Washington DC between 20 and 22 April, with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal leading the talks.
Agrawal had earlier shared India’s trade data for March and emphasised that the resumption of negotiations this month marks a crucial step in advancing trade ties between the two countries. India and the United States had announced on 7 February this year that they had reached a framework for an Interim Agreement, reaffirming their commitment to the broader Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations.
These talks were originally launched by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 February 2025, with the intention of expanding market access and strengthening supply chain resilience.
The Interim Agreement was described as a historic milestone in the partnership, demonstrating a shared commitment to reciprocal and balanced trade based on mutual interests and tangible outcomes. Agrawal reiterated last month that India remains engaged with the United States in pursuit of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
He highlighted that on 7 February 2026, the United States had removed the 25% additional ad-valorem tariffs imposed on certain Indian exports, which had been linked to India’s imports of Russian oil.
Furthermore, he noted that following a US Supreme Court judgement on 20 February 2026 invalidating reciprocal tariffs, such measures were no longer in force.
Despite this, the US Government has issued Executive Orders imposing 10% tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act, 1974 on certain products from all countries. Indian officials have acknowledged that Washington is attempting to establish a new global tariff architecture, and sources have suggested that the trade agreement will be signed once this framework is in place.
Commerce Ministry officials confirmed in March that bilateral engagement continues without interruption, with both sides committed to achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.
ANI
