India and United States Begin Final Round of Bilateral Trade Talks

From June 1 to June 4, senior delegations from India and the United States convened in Delhi for a four‑day round of negotiations aimed at finalising the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement. The talks, led by U.S. chief negotiator Brandon Lynch and India’s Additional Secretary Darpan Jain, will address market access, non‑tariff barriers, customs procedures, investment opportunities and economic‑security cooperation. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that about 99 % of the issues have already been resolved and the remaining work focuses on legal drafting.

The agenda also includes possible tariff relief for Indian exporters, such as reducing a previously agreed 50 % tariff to 18 % on certain goods and maintaining the removal of a 25 % tariff that had been imposed after the United States halted Russian oil purchases. Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that struck down reciprocal tariff provisions under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act are also expected to shape the final text.