US trade negotiators to visit India from June 1-4 for interim trade deal talks

New Delhi: American trade negotiators will visit India from June 1 to 4 to finalise details of the interim agreement and advance negotiations under the broader bilateral trade agreement (BTA) covering areas such as market access, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion and economic security alignment, the government said on Wednesday.

US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer Wednesday said he expects to meet commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal soon to finalise the India-US framework deal.

Also Read: Canada announces trade mission to India


"On New Delhi, we have had many meaningful discussions. We have a framework agreement with the Indians. I have a team going there next week. I expect to meet my counterpart soon as well. I'd really like to be in a position to finalise our agreement based on the joint framework agreement we agreed to," Greer said at a Council of Foreign Relations conference.

The Indian side had visited Washington from April 20 to 23 for in-person meetings with US counterparts.

The two sides issued a joint statement on February 7, agreeing on a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The framework reaffirmed their commitment to broader BTA negotiations.

Also Read: West Asia crisis may soon make everyday goods costlier in India

"To carry forward the discussions, the US team led by the chief negotiator will be visiting India from June 1-4," the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

Last month, Goyal said the two sides had almost finalised the first tranche of the BTA and that New Delhi would discuss a mechanism to secure preferential market access for Indian goods in the US.

Commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Tuesday that the trade pact could be finalised before July 24, when the additional 10% global tariffs imposed by the US are due to expire.