Key facts
- US Trade Representative Greer met Commerce Minister Goyal for ministerial-level talks
- US Embassy says Washington seeks a fair deal benefiting both countries
- Congress urged Modi not to sign the trade pact as it stands
- Key unresolved issues include agriculture, digital trade, and market access
India and the United States held ministerial-level trade talks, with senior officials on both sides sitting down to work through the unresolved elements of a bilateral trade pact that has taken on fresh urgency amid Washington's global tariff push.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for what officials characterised as substantive negotiations. The US Embassy in New Delhi reinforced Washington's position, saying the United States is focused on reaching a fair trade deal that benefits both countries — language that reflects American insistence on reciprocal market access alongside India's own red lines around agriculture and digital commerce.
The talks come at a critical juncture. India is one of several countries in active negotiation with the US following the Trump administration's tariff actions, and securing a deal — or at least an interim arrangement — would give Indian exporters meaningful relief. Congress, however, weighed in sharply, with the opposition urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop appeasing his "good friend" Trump and warning that India must not sign the trade pact as it currently stands, signalling domestic political pressure around any eventual agreement.
What remains to be resolved is substantial: the two sides must bridge differences on agricultural tariffs, digital trade provisions, and broader market access commitments. The outcome of these talks will have tangible consequences for Indian industry and consumers, and the pace of progress will be closely watched both in New Delhi and Washington.