Indian team lands in US; four day bilateral trade talks set to begin

The delegation of the high -level Indian Ministry of Commerce arrived in Washington to hold a new round of talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States. The four -day conversations started on Monday and are expected to continue until Thursday. PTI official, PTI, is scheduled to join the PTI that the chief negotiator in India and a private secretary at the Ministry of Commerce is scheduled to join the team on Wednesday.

The last visit represents the continuation of the negotiations that started last month, as talks were held in Washington between June 26 and July 2. According to the official, this stage of negotiations will focus on getting rid of distinguished issues in the main sectors, including agriculture, dairy, aluminum, and aluminum.

The vice president of the negotiator in India is already in Washington and participates in the discussions of the first stage. “We do not differentiate between a temporary or the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement. We are negotiating a full deal. Whatever it will be completed, we can pack it as a temporary deal and the rest, the talks will continue,” said a senior official.

The talks come at critical time, with the United States postponing an additional tariff on many countries, including India, until August 1. US President Donald Trump announced on April 2, definitions were postponed for the first time until July 9, then pushed to August 1.

India strongly opposed the demands of the United States to concessions of dairy and agriculture, noting its long -term situation in not making dairy tariff concessions under any of the free trade agreements. India also seeks to remove or reduce the sharp US definitions – 26 percent on the chosen agricultural elements, 50 percent on steel and aluminum, and 25 percent on cars.

For its part, the United States pushes to reduce the customs tariffs on a range of products, including industrial goods, cars (especially electric cars), wine, petrochemicals, dairy elements, apples, tree nuts, and genetically modified crops.

In response to its response, India seeks to obtain greater allocations to reach markets and extensive exports in workers such as textiles, clothes, leather goods, gemstones, jewelry, plastic materials, chemicals, shrimp, oil seeds, grapes, and bananas.

Both countries aim to conclude negotiations on the first segment of BTA by autumn (September – October). Until then, they explore the possibility of a limited temporary agreement.

Cargo exports in India to the United States grew by 21.78 percent to $ 17.25 billion in April of the current fiscal year, while imports from the United States increased by 25.8 percent to 8.87 billion dollars.

(With PTI inputs)