India and the US will resume negotiations on Tuesday to finalise a critical trade agreement, following President Donald Trump’s imposition of steep 50 pc tariffs on Indian exports due to India’s purchase of Russian oil.
The trade discussions are occurring after the long-delayed arrival of the US delegation in New Delhi, marking an improvement in relations after weeks of criticism from Washington, followed by a gradual softening of Trump’s rhetoric in an effort to preserve ties with India.
US Trade Representative for South Asia Brendan Lynch will head the American delegation, while senior Commerce Ministry official Rajesh Agarwal will represent India, according to news agencies.
Last week, Trump expressed optimism about securing a trade deal with India. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the trade negotiations would pave the way for "unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership".
Also Read: PM resolute before 50pc US tariff deadline, vows way forward
Officials in New Delhi view the talks as a potential opportunity to revive a free trade agreement that was jeopardised by the tariffs, which took effect on August 27. Five rounds of talks have already taken place, with the sixth round originally scheduled for August 25 to 29 before being postponed.
Notably, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Monday that India was "coming to the negotiating table", a comment made ahead of the US team’s arrival for the high-stakes discussions.
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