Indian Envoy Meets Top US Officials In Washington As Both Nations Set To Resume Trade Talks From April 20

 

New Delhi : India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Wednesday held a crucial meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and former National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien in Washington, as both countries are set to resume negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) after a hiatus of nearly three months.

Calling the discussions "productive", Kwatra said they spoke about a range of bilateral cooperation opportunities as well as important global developments. He also appreciated the continued support for strengthening India-US ties.

"Honored to host Amb. Jamieson Greer and Amb. Robert O'Brien at India House today," Kwatra said in a post on X. "We had productive conversation on a range of bilateral cooperation opportunities. Also discussed important developments across the world. Appreciate their strong and continuing support for strong India-US ties," he added.

In February, India and the US announced finalisation of a framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement. According to that framework, the US had agreed to reduce tariffs on India to 18 percent. However, the same month, on February 20, the US Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump's tariff policies imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPPA) were "unconstitutional".

 

India and the US were initially planning to sign the trade deal in March, but changes in the tariff landscape following the US Supreme Court ruling altered the situation. This was followed by the US imposing a temporary 10 percent tariff on all countries for 150 days from February 24, forcing both sides to recalibrate their approach. Consequently, a planned meeting between negotiators of both nations in February was also postponed because of these developments.

Earlier on Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said there is a need for further discussions and follow-up engagements on the pact.

 

He informed that chief negotiators of India and the US will begin three-day talks in Washington from April 20 on the proposed trade pact, as the agreement finalised in February requires recalibration. "Indian team led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain will be visiting the US from 20th of this month. The negotiating teams will be meeting in person after a gap of about 3-4 months. We are looking at finalising the legal agreement, which is a logical follow-up of the joint statement released on February 7," he told reporters.

 

He further said that the two Section 301 investigations launched by the US last month against a host of countries, including India, will also be discussed during the meeting.

"Both sides will sit together and discuss how these issues need to be structured and addressed. India and the US will work together to finalise timelines and next steps as part of the ongoing engagement," he added.