Trade deal talks with US near finishing line: EAM Jaishankar
Says Challenge Is To Find A Landing Point
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Saturday that the pending issues in the trade deal with the US are largely not due to India, signalling that negotiations are nearing completion. Jaishankar expressed optimism, referring to the talks as being in the "last stretch." This statement follows a week when a team of US officials visited India to discuss the customs and trade facilitation chapter, awaiting clarity on the new tariff framework post the US Supreme Court's ruling on Trump's reciprocal tariffs' illegality.
Jaishankar's remarks may suggest that the government is anticipating the next move from the Trump administration, which is currently conducting a second Section 301 probe against over a dozen countries for structural overcapacity. Both sides have been indicating for weeks that the talks are in the final stages, with Trump suggesting the deal with India might differ from others.
Jaishankar emphasized the importance of a beneficial, balanced trade deal that provides India with a comparative advantage over similar economies. India and the US are set to meet next month, with the hope of announcing the first tranche of the deal soon, though this will depend on the resolution of the US Trade Representative's second probe.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
