India-US trade pact: Piyush Goyal says New Delhi, Washington in ‘constant dialogue’ to seal deal amid US shutdown

India-US trade pact: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, said India and the United States are continuing their dialogue on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), including the possibility of meeting the November 2025 deadline, news agency PTI reported.

“We are in constant dialogue with the USA (on the trade pact), and talks are on at various levels. We will give more information on this soon on how we are thinking to take it forward,” he said, according to the news report.

Will India and US meet November BTA deadline?

When asked whether both nations are sticking to the November 2025 deadline for BTA, Goyal responded that ‘there is every possibility’.

Goyal also mentioned that the next round of the India-US trade negotiations may be held in a physical mode. However, given the backdrop of the ongoing US government shutdown, it will be seen how, where, and when the next round of talks can be conducted.

“Aap sub jante hain ki USA me aaj-kal government shut down mode me hai, toh uske maddenazar dekhna padega ki kaise baat-cheet ho sakti hai, kahan ho sakti hai, aur kab ho sakti hai (As you all know, the US government is currently in shutdown mode. So, keeping that in mind, we'll have to see how, where, and when the discussions can take place),” Goyal told the media on Tuesday.

US government shutdown

US President Donald Trump imposed a government shutdown since midnight on 1 October 2025, as Congress failed to pass a funding bill for the federal government.

A government shutdown means the government workers will not be paid for now, and service centres will remain closed during the period. However, important services like the US Postal Service, defence, and social work will continue to operate normally.

Amid the shutdown, Goyal went to the US for a one-day official visit, leading a business delegation to discuss ways to boost trade and investment ties between the two countries.

Goyal's visit to the US last month led to continued negotiations for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States. Both nations have held constructive meetings on various aspects of the trade deal since March 2025.

The November 2025 deadline for the potential BTA is crucial as President Trump's raging 50% tariffs loom over Indian exporters sending goods to the Western nation. Trump imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff, citing that India buys crude oil from Russia, and later imposed an additional 25% import duty rate on top of the 10% baseline tariffs.