India hopeful of sealing US trade framework this year: Comm Secy

Both countries have been in negotiations for a long time, and the first tranche of a bilateral trade deal was expected by the fall of 2025

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

India is hopeful of reaching a framework trade deal with the US this year itself that should address the tariff issue to the benefit of Indian exporters, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Friday.

Both countries have been in negotiations for a long time, and the first tranche of a bilateral trade deal was expected by the fall of 2025, but the Trump administration's imposition of tariffs on Indian exports has created hurdles.

While noting that the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) will take time, Agrawal said India is engaged in protracted negotiations with the US on a framework trade deal that will address the reciprocal tariff challenge faced by Indian exporters today.

"These are two separate parallel negotiations going on, but one will feed into the other. What needs to come first is the framework trade deal, which will be able to address reciprocal tariffs," he said.