India-US trade deal in ‘short strokes’ but nothing imminent, USTR Greer says

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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the India-US trade agreement was nearing the end of negotiations but cautioned that there was nothing “imminent”, as the two sides work through a defined set of remaining sticking points.

Greer also said US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could speak again “very soon” to review progress in the negotiations, ANI reported.

“I would characterise it, as we say in the US, we're in the short strokes. So, I think we're toward the end of it,” Greer said at a press conference following the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee on Thursday.

“At the same time, there's no, I don't think there's something imminent, but we truly have identified the universe of items that are sticking points. We're working diligently toward them,” he added.

Greer said he expected Trump and Modi could hold another call soon “just to assess progress and where we are”.

The comments provide a more qualified assessment of the negotiations days after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the proposed agreement was “almost done and dusted”, while adding that India was waiting for a competitive tariff advantage over rival exporters before the pact could be executed.

Greer-Goyal talks continue in Milwaukee

Greer met Goyal on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting on Wednesday evening, with the two sides discussing an early conclusion of the interim trade agreement.

“We had a very constructive conversation, minister Goyal and myself. Our staff is meeting right now since they're in the country, and we're here,” Greer said, according to PTI.

Goyal separately described the meeting as a “productive discussion” aimed at the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the broader India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.

The Commerce Ministry said Goyal was in Milwaukee for the two-day G20 meeting and held bilateral discussions with several trade partners on the sidelines.

Modi, Trump reviewed trade progress this week

Greer’s comments came after Modi and Trump spoke by phone on September 30.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, energy and critical technologies, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. They also agreed to remain in close contact and continue advancing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

Greer said the conversation between the two leaders had been constructive.

The possibility of another call would add a leader-level review to negotiations that have continued through several rounds of official and ministerial engagement this year.

February framework still awaits completion

India and the US announced a framework for an interim trade agreement on February 7 as part of negotiations for a broader bilateral trade agreement launched in February 2025.

Under the framework, the US said it would apply an 18% reciprocal tariff rate to originating Indian goods, while India agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a range of agricultural products.

The framework also covered non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, digital trade, supply-chain security and additional market-access commitments.

The two governments said at the time that they would move to implement the framework and finalise the interim agreement while continuing negotiations on the broader BTA.

Negotiating teams subsequently held further discussions. An Indian delegation travelled to Washington from April 20 to 23, while a US delegation visited New Delhi from June 1 to 4 for talks covering trade in goods, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation and economic-security alignment.

US tariff changes added another layer to talks

The tariff environment changed further after the February framework.

In July, the USTR imposed an additional 10% tariff on imports from India under Section 301 of the US Trade Act as part of action covering 60 economies over policies relating to imports produced with forced labour.

India was placed in the lower of the tariff tiers created under the measure. The Indian government said at the time that about 45% of its exports to the US remained outside the scope of the additional 10% duty because of product exemptions and existing Section 232 measures.

The Commerce Ministry has continued to say that India remains engaged with Washington both on the tariff measures and on completing the bilateral trade agreement.

Goyal had called pact ‘almost done and dusted’

On September 24, Goyal said the India-US agreement was “almost done and dusted”, but linked its execution to India securing the right competitive position against countries that compete with Indian exporters in the American market.

“We just have to find the right comparable competitive advantage over our competitor so that we can quickly execute the agreement,” Goyal said at the time, according to PTI.

PTI reported that India competes in the US market with exporters including ASEAN economies, China and Bangladesh.

Greer’s latest comments indicate that negotiations remain active even as the two sides have narrowed the unresolved issues.

“We are continually trying to finish the trade deal with India,” he said.