US trade representative to visit India for interim trade deal talks

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is set to visit India this week to advance negotiations on the interim trade agreement that Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had agreed to pursue in February.

In a statement, the Office of the US Trade Representative said Greer would travel to New Delhi to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and other senior Indian officials. The discussions will focus on the joint statement issued by India and the US and the proposed interim agreement under the broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

The visit comes shortly after Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France last week, where the US president said both countries were close to finalising the trade pact. Trump also described Modi as a tough negotiator and praised the strong personal rapport they share.

Greer’s visit follows negotiator-level talks on the agreement held in New Delhi from June 2 to 4. Earlier, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal had indicated that the ministerial discussions would aim to finalise the framework of the deal.

On June 5, Goyal said India and the US were working to resolve the remaining issues in the interim agreement and expressed confidence that the first phase of the BTA, which he described as “very, very vibrant”, could be concluded by the middle of next month.

After his India visit, Greer is scheduled to travel to Uzbekistan, where he will meet President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Head of the Presidential Administration Saida Mirziyoyeva, and Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev. His discussions there will focus on promoting fair, balanced and reciprocal trade relations with the United States.