India and United States negotiate bilateral trade agreement, eye Section 301 tariff relief

India and the United States are in the final stages of negotiating a bilateral trade agreement (BTA). Talks scheduled for June 2‑4 aim to resolve remaining issues such as market access, non‑tariff barriers, customs facilitation, investment promotion and economic‑security cooperation. U.S. trade representative Brandon Lynch will lead the American delegation, while Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, along with Additional Secretary Darpan Jain, head the Indian side.

The negotiations also focus on the U.S. Section 301 investigation that currently imposes tariffs on Indian goods. Both sides have indicated that an interim agreement signed before July 24 could exempt India from any additional Section 301 tariffs, preserving the existing 10 % rate that is set to expire. A formal announcement of the first phase of the BTA is expected shortly after the talks conclude.