‘Positive & forward looking’: India, US to intensify efforts to seal trade deal as talks resume

India-US trade talks: India and the US on Tuesday termed the talks between Chief US negotiator Brendan Lynch and Indian counterpart Rajesh Agrawal, the Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, on the proposed bilateral trade agreement as “positive and forward-looking”.

The two countries also decided to intensify efforts to reach a mutually beneficial trade agreement at the earliest.

Lynch arrived in India on Monday night for a day-long negotiation, weeks after the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, including a 25 per cent penalty for buying Russian crude oil.

In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said that a team of officials from the office of the United States Trade Representative held discussions with officials from the Department of Commerce on India-US trade ties, including on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.

“Acknowledging the enduring importance of bilateral trade between India and the US, the discussions were positive and forward-looking, covering various aspects of the trade deal. It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” said the Commerce Ministry.

Meanwhile, the US embassy also said that Lynch held a positive meeting with Indian counterpart Rajesh Agrawal.

“Lynch had a positive meeting in Delhi with his counterpart, Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, today to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations,” said the US Embassy spokesperson.

Just a few days ago, US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he was pleased to announce that India and the US are continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers.

“I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” he said.

In response to Trump's remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India and the US are close friends and natural partners.

Ahead of Lynch's visit, US White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro claimed in an interview with CNBC that India was coming to the negotiating table, adding that “the countries are still negotiating on the trade issue, and are working on trade barriers”.

Who is Brendan Lynch?

Brendan Lynch is the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia. He oversees the development and implementation of US trade policy concerning 15 countries in the region, including management of the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and coordination of activity under Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) with regional partners.