India to seek tariff reprieve in meeting with US officials

India's government will seek an exemption from President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs when US officials arrive in the country Tuesday for talks over a bilateral trade agreement, people familiar with the matter said.

Brendan Lynch, US assistant trade representative for South and Central Asia, and a team of officials will visit India from March 25-29 as part of ongoing trade discussions, the US embassy in New Delhi said in a statement Monday.

Officials in New Delhi are expected to make the case for a reprieve from reciprocal tariffs, which are scheduled to take effect on April 2, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.


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The two sides are expected to discuss a framework for a bilateral trade deal, after which formal negotiations would start, they said. Aside from trade officials, Lynch is also likely to meet Vikram Misri, India’s foreign secretary, during the visit, one of the people said.

“We look forward to productive and constructive discussions with the incoming US delegation to expand and deepen our bilateral trade and economic ties in a mutually beneficial manner,” India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement.

India has one of the highest average tariff rates among major economies, making it a key target of Trump’s reciprocal duties. The US president has frequently cited India’s import taxes as unfair to American businesses and said as recently as last week that the country wouldn’t avoid being hit by the like-for-like duties.

Since Trump took office, Modi’s government has taken several steps to appease the US leader around his key concerns of trade and immigration. Modi visited the White House in February, where the two leaders agreed to boost trade and work toward a bilateral agreement by November. They also discussed India buying more energy and weapons from the US.

India has already lowered imported taxes on a range of goods, including bourbon whiskey and high-end motorcycles, such as those made by Harley Davidson Inc. Indian officials are considering reducing tariffs on a range of other goods, including automobiles, some agricultural products and chemicals, Bloomberg News previously reported.

The US embassy said Monday the visit by Lynch reflects Washington’s commitment to advancing its trade relationship with India.

“We value our ongoing engagement with the government of India on trade and investment matters and look forward to continuing these discussions in a constructive, equitable, and forward-looking manner,” it said in the statement.