NEW DELHI: India-US trade talks, which were stalled amid diplomatic friction arising out of Washington’s punitive tariff action on New Delhi, are likely to resume soon with US President Donald Trump striking a conciliatory note towards India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reciprocating positively.
Late on Tuesday, Trump announced via a TruthSocial post that India and the US were trying to address trade barriers through negotiations.
“I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries,” President Trump said.
In response, Modi stated: “India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking for ward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people.”
Government sources said the talks will resume soon, with ministries from tariff-affected sectors claiming they have been assured by the commerce ministry that a favourable deal is on the horizon.
Confir ming the development, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India is in talks with the US and other trade partners.
“We are in active dialogue with the United States of America and with New Zealand. With Qatar, we will be finalising the terms of reference by the first week of October,” Goyal said at an event in Delhi.
India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement, with the first tranche expected to be completed by September-October.
However, tensions over India’s Russian oil purchases led the US to call off the visit of its trade negotiators to Delhi in August last week, effectively stalling the process. At that time, the commerce ministry said the delegation’s visit would be rescheduled, but no new dates were provided.
The US has since imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, pushing New Delhi to explore other export markets. Now, with the leaders of both countries signalling renewed good will, talks are expected to gain momentum.
A government source told this newspaper that while no dates have been finalised yet, the next round of negotiations will happen soon.