Goyal leaves for trade talks on Monday

A DELEGATION LED by commerce and industries minister Piyush Goyal will visit the United States for trade talks on September 22, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.The delegation plans to take forward discussions with a view to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement, the statement said.

- RAVI DUTTA MISHRA/PTI

The minister will visit New York and will be accompanied with special secretary in the ministry Rajesh Agrawal and other officials.

The visa order casts a shadow on these negotiations as India typically seeks better access to services-led developed countries under Mode 4.

Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Mode 4 describes the supply of services through the movement of natural persons (individuals) from one World Trade Organisation's (WTO) member country to another. Mode 4 was also a key ask during negotiations for a deal with the UK, but antiimmigration protests and Brexit resulted in little access for Indian IT workers in the UK under the trade deal.

Trade deal negotiations with the US are already at a delicate stage as Indian labour-intensive sectors such as the textile, footwear and marine sectors have begun bearing the brunt of steep US tariffs.