US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer described the ongoing India-US trade deal negotiations as being in the 'short strokes' phase, signalling that talks are approaching their final stage.
Speaking at a press conference in Milwaukee on October 2, Greer mentioned having a 'very constructive' discussion with India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting, with officials from both nations continuing negotiations.
He revealed that staff members from both sides were meeting concurrently in the United States to advance the discussions.
Greer clarified that while progress is steady and talks are nearing an end, there is no imminent agreement, as the negotiating teams have identified the remaining areas of disagreement.
The US trade representative responded to queries regarding whether the recent call between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had influenced the dialogue, calling it 'a very constructive call' that may be followed up soon to assess developments.
Greer did not disclose specifics about the unresolved issues or set any timetable for finalising the trade deal.
Alongside these developments, Goyal was also engaged in several bilateral meetings with counterparts during the Milwaukee G20 ministerial.
This trade agreement is part of a broader initiative under the Trump administration, which has secured 10 reciprocal trade agreements and nine joint statements with various trading partners, covering over 40 percent of US goods trade.
Greer defended the administration's tariff policies, stating that the measures aim to strengthen American production and supply chains rather than target any specific country.
explained, 'Our trade policy is pro-American,' designed to support US supply chains without causing excessive production or dominating global markets for any commodity.
The Milwaukee ministerial assembled trade officials from major advanced and emerging economies to discuss significant global trade issues, including structural excess production, forced labour in supply chains, the most-favoured-nation principle, and coercive trade actions involving food.
India and the United States continue to work towards resolving trade issues through these negotiations, which remain central to their bilateral economic relationship.
