India and the US held “constructive and positive” discussions on an interim bilateral trade agreement and the two sides are committed to take the deal forward, the external affairs ministry said on Friday after a US team’s visit to New Delhi for discussions with Indian counterparts.
A delegation from the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India during June 1-4 to take forward discussions on the trade agreement. The visit came days after US ambassador Sergio Gor said only “1%” of the proposed trade deal remains to be finalised and Washington expects the agreement to be signed in the next few weeks.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that the negotiating team from the USTR’s office held “ positive and constructive” conversations with Indian interlocutors during its visit that concluded on Thursday. Following these discussions, the Indian side has found the US is committed to taking forward the bilateral trade agreement, he said.
India and the US had issued a joint statement on February 7 about finalising a framework for an interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. This framework reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to the broader India-US bilateral trade agreement negotiations.
The US negotiating team held discussions on a wide range of issues covering trade in goods, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, and economic security alignment, the commerce ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“The engagements were marked by a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to concluding a mutually beneficial agreement that strengthens bilateral trade and economic ties,” the statement said.
