India–U.S. Trade Deal nears finish line as chief negotiator set for Washington trip

India’s chief trade negotiator will travel to the United States next week to finalise a long-anticipated bilateral trade agreement, Reuters reported, signalling that talks between India and Washington may be entering their final stretch.

Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday that New Delhi expects the U.S. to reduce tariffs on Indian goods to about 18% as early as this week, a move seen as a confidence-building step before the agreement is sealed.

In a fresh push to wrap up negotiations, Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, will lead a delegation to the United States to finalise the legal contours of an interim trade pact, the commerce secretary said, according to PTI.


An interim trade framework was announced by the United States and India earlier this month, marking an important reset in bilateral economic engagement after negotiations dragging on for nearly a year

Negotiations, held across multiple rounds in New Delhi and Washington, accelerated in recent months as both sides seek to deepen economic ties and diversify supply chains amid global trade realignments.