India and the United States have made progress in negotiations on a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), following a fresh round of talks held in Washington, D.C. from April 20 to 23.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the discussions were conducted in a constructive and forward-looking manner, covering a wide range of critical areas including market access, non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, economic security alignment, and digital trade.
The meetings were part of ongoing efforts to finalise the details of an interim trade agreement between the two countries, which is expected to pave the way for a broader and more comprehensive BTA. Both sides agreed to remain actively engaged to sustain the momentum in negotiations.
The latest round follows a Joint Statement issued on February 7, in which India and the US agreed on a framework for an interim agreement focused on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The framework also reaffirmed their commitment to advancing negotiations for a full-fledged bilateral trade pact.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal earlier indicated that the first tranche of the agreement is close to being finalised. He said India is working to secure preferential market access in the US market to enhance its competitiveness.
The Indian delegation for the talks was led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain, who engaged with US counterparts over three days to iron out key aspects of the interim deal.
(With agency inputs)
