India-US trade deal 'not imminent', Greer says

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a productive discussion on Wednesday, aiming to conclude an interim trade agreement between India and the US. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G-20 Trade Ministers meeting in Milwaukee, approximately 1,200 kilometers away. This conversation occurred on the same day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed bilateral cooperation via telephone.

Goyal later shared on X that the two had constructive talks focused on expediting the finalization of a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement. The pair also exchanged perspectives on the G20 deliberations led by the US. In February, India and the US had formally agreed on the framework for the initial phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA), although recent tariff changes in the US have prompted additional negotiations.

Goyal had previously expressed confidence that the trade pact would come into effect once the US granted India a competitive edge over its rivals in the American market, mentioning that India's competition includes ASEAN countries, China, and Bangladesh.