Indian and United States officials said their recent trade discussions in Washington remain constructive as both sides work toward a bilateral trade agreement intended to expand economic ties and address mutual concerns.
The dialogue followed a three-day visit to Washington by an Indian trade delegation led by senior commerce ministry official Darpan Jain. At a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the engagements as ongoing and constructive.
"These engagements are ongoing and constructive," Jaiswal told reporters. He added that "both sides are working towards a balanced, mutually beneficial and forward-looking trade agreement, taking into account each other’s concerns and priorities, and to achieve a trade target of $500 billion by 2030." That objective would more than double bilateral goods and services trade, which was about $212 billion in 2024.
Officials said the talks form part of broader efforts by New Delhi and Washington to reach a trade pact, even as uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy has complicated the negotiating environment. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal earlier this week said the two sides had nearly finalised the first tranche of a bilateral agreement and were addressing remaining elements, including a mechanism to secure preferential market access for India in the U.S. market relative to competitors.
No concrete outcome emerged from the most recent round of discussions, according to a government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. That official said the Indian delegation was expected to return to New Delhi by early Friday and indicated further engagement would continue.
Proposals discussed during efforts to frame an interim trade pact have included a potential reduction in U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to about 18%. However, those proposals have been clouded by uncertainty following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and negotiations have proceeded against that backdrop.
Trade analysts and opposition parties have raised questions about the government's plans to sign a deal with Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary 10% duty on imports from all countries, including India. New Delhi has signaled it hopes any bilateral agreement will align with planned U.S. changes to Section 301 tariffs scheduled for June, since revisions could reshape duties across key sectors and affect market access.
Delegation members and U.S. counterparts will continue discussions, according to Indian officials, with work on remaining modalities and mechanisms ongoing. The two governments have emphasized the need to reconcile each side's priorities and concerns while pursuing a forward-looking pact that could significantly increase two-way trade by 2030.
Contact: Government spokespeople and ministry officials provided statements at public briefings; an unnamed government official contributed background on the status of the talks.