Continue to remain engaged with United States to finalise bilateral trade agreement, says Govt

The central government on Friday (Dec 26) said that it continues to engage with the United States to finalise a bilateral trade agreement and that discussions have been held on contentious issues between both sides. New Delhi and Washington have been working out to conclude a trade agreement for months after President Trump announced baseline tariffs against its trade partners on April 2.

Answering queries during the weekly media briefing concerning India-US bilateral trade agreement talks, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said both governments continue to remain engaged with a view to concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement.

Jaiswal underlined a recent visit of a US negotiator led by Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer from December 9 to 11. During the visit, Switzer met with Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, and other senior Indian officials.

On December 24, Indian envoy to the United States Vinay Kwatra held a meeting with US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

In a post on X, Kwatra said they had "extensive discussions on our shared goal to strengthen trade ties, as also his (Gor) plans and priorities for our bilateral partnership as he prepares to assume his responsibility as the US Ambassador to India!"

Also Read: China warns Washington of ‘first red line’, sanctions US defence firms over arms sales to Taiwan

Signalling forward movement in ongoing negotiations, India on December 24 announced reforms to remove red tape and ease its import quality checks, addressing an issue raised by the United States during trade talks.

The regulatory restructuring is aimed at reducing paperwork, cutting time for checks and fewer inspections for quality approval, the trade ministry said.

”The reforms aim to accelerate processes, reduce turnaround times, and leverage technology-driven systems to make quality assurance faster, more transparent, and more accessible for enterprises, institutions, and citizens,” said Jaxay Shah, the chairman of the Quality Council of India.

Despite multiple rounds of talks and high-profile meetings, the United States continues to impose 50 per cent tariffs on India, the highest globally.