India, US trade talks from Apr 23; pact's terms of reference includes about 19 chapters

INDIAN and US officials will hold three-day talks from April 23 in Washington for a proposed trade pact with terms of references (ToRs) covering around 19 chapters such as tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and customs facilitation, official sources said.

- 

The Indian official team is visiting the US to give further impetus to the negotiations in the way tariff pause window and discuss these ToRs to iron out differences on certain issues before formally launching talks for the bilateral trade agreement (BTA).

India's chief negotiator, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, will lead the team for the first in-person talks between the two countries. Agrawal was appointed as the next commerce secretary on April 8. He will assume office from October 1.

Both sides will discuss the level of ambition. The ToRs will be further developed and discussed. What will be the pathway for inking the ToRs include issues like tariffs, non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, goods, services, customs facilitation and regulatory issues, the official said, adding general contours of the pact will be discussed, besides scheduling, so that things can be finalised in 90 days.