India Delegation To Begin 3-Day Trade Pact Talks In Washington

The talks come amid changes in US trade policy after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

Indian delegation will travel to Washington on April 20 (Reuters image used for representation)

An Indian delegation will travel to Washington on Monday for three days of talks with US officials on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), at a time when global tariff conditions are undergoing significant changes.

The team will be led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce. Officials from the customs department and the Ministry of External Affairs will also be part of the discussions, which are scheduled from April 20 to 22.

The talks come amid a shift in the US trade environment. Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under emergency powers. Soon after, the administration introduced a flat 10 per cent tariff on imports from all countries for 150 days, starting February 24.

In view of these changes, both sides are expected to revisit the framework of the agreement finalised in February. A meeting planned earlier was postponed and is now being held this week.

According to a report by PTI, the discussions may also cover two investigations launched by the US Trade Representative under Section 301 of its trade law. India has rejected the allegations in these cases and has asked the US to withdraw the probes, saying they lack strong justification.

Under the earlier draft, the US had agreed to reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent. It had also scrapped an additional 25 per cent tariff linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, with plans to lower the remaining duties further.

India, in turn, had proposed reducing or removing tariffs on a wide range of US industrial and agricultural products, including animal feed, nuts, fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits. It had also expressed plans to increase imports from the US—such as energy, aircraft, technology products and raw materials—over the next five years.

However, with the US now imposing a uniform 10 per cent tariff on all trading partners, India’s earlier advantage under the proposed deal has reduced. Officials say this makes it necessary to revise and update the agreement.

“As the situation has changed, the agreement will have to be recalibrated and redrafted,” a government source said, adding that India has room to make changes since the deal has not yet been signed.

Globally, several countries are reassessing their trade strategies with the US under the new tariff regime.

Meanwhile, India’s trade dynamics are also shifting. China has overtaken the US as India’s largest trading partner in 2025–26, after the US held that position for four consecutive years.

India’s exports to the US rose marginally to USD 87.3 billion in the last financial year, while imports increased to USD 52.9 billion. As a result, the trade surplus narrowed to USD 34.4 billion, compared to USD 40.89 billion in the previous year.

(With PTI inputs)

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