India and US Near Final Agreement on Bilateral Trade Deal

FTA in Final Stages After Ups and Downs: MEA Provides Update Following Modi-Trump G7 Meeting; US Official to Visit Soon

India and the United States are nearing the conclusion of an interim bilateral trade agreement, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The update comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed trade during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. Both leaders directed officials to expedite the finalisation of the deal.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Misri confirmed significant progress had been made on the agreement and stated that discussions are now in their final stages. He also announced that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to visit India next week to advance the negotiations further.

The proposed trade pact was a prominent topic during the Modi-Trump meeting, with both leaders expressing a strong desire to conclude the deal soon. Trump described the discussions with Modi as productive, noting that trade talks between the two nations have been ongoing for some time. He also referred to Modi as "one of the toughest" negotiators.

Trump further praised Modi for encouraging Indian investments in the United States, highlighting the Indian Prime Minister's efforts to bolster economic ties between the two countries. The interim trade agreement, which reached an understanding in February after nearly a year of negotiations, aims to resolve trade uncertainties and strengthen bilateral relations.

This update adds momentum to India's ongoing efforts to deepen its trade partnerships globally, including the recently announced India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which will come into force on July 15.