Tariff Pause: Govt to Finish BTA Talks Before Deadline

Virtual talks will begin this week, physical rounds likely in first week of May

- DIPAK MONDAL @ New Delhi

The government is hoping to complete the first tranche of bilateral trade agreement (BTA) talks with the United States before the September-October deadline in order to use the 90-day window, which the US government has given to its trading partners for imposition of reciprocal tariff, sources in the government said.

"The September-October timeline is a deadline, not a target. If negotiations can be concluded earlier, it will benefit both countries. We are aiming to accelerate talks to avoid any adverse outcomes when the pause ends," says a Commerce Ministry official, who refused to be quoted.