An Indian delegation visited the United States for in-person negotiations to finalise details of a proposed interim trade agreement and push forward discussions under the broader bilateral trade framework, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said on Friday.
The 12-member Indian team, led by Darpan Jain, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, held detailed talks with the US delegation headed by Brendan Lynch.
According to the ministry, discussions covered a wide range of issues including market access, non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, economic security alignment, and digital trade.
The talks build on a joint statement issued on February 7, 2026, in which both sides agreed on a framework for an interim agreement focused on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The framework also reaffirmed their commitment to negotiating a comprehensive India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
“The meetings were conducted in a constructive and positive spirit, with meaningful and forward-looking discussions enabling progress on key matters. Both sides agreed to remain engaged to maintain this momentum,” the ministry said.
Under the proposed interim arrangement, the US has reduced tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. India, in turn, is seeking greater access to American markets, with both countries targeting an expansion of bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told lawmakers in Washington that negotiations were progressing but flagged longstanding sensitivities.
“India is a tough nut to crack. They’ve protected their agricultural markets for a very long time,” Greer told the Committee on Ways and Means of the US Congress.
In August last year, Trump had imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff on India and an additional 25% penal tariff for India’s crude oil purchases from Russia.
The US Supreme Court on February 20 struck down the reciprocal tariffs introduced by Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
