India and the United States are set to commence sector-specific trade discussions on Monday, with the goal of finalizing critical details within the next six weeks, according to a New Delhi official, as per Bloomberg.
Virtual talks are scheduled to begin this week, a senior official familiar with the situation told Bloomberg News. Both sides are aiming to achieve clarity on potential concessions across various sectors by the end of May, the official said, requesting anonymity in accordance with protocol. The timeline was initially reported by Indian media outlets on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House in February saw both nations expressing their intent to finalize the initial phase of a trade agreement by the fall. However, on April 2, President Donald Trump imposed 26% reciprocal tariffs on India, before granting a 90-day reprieve to most nations.
The Indian official stated that New Delhi is not overly concerned about the reciprocal tariffs, and believes that securing a trade agreement with India remains a priority for Washington. Both sides are reportedly committed to establishing realistic objectives.
The Indian commerce ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Last week, India indicated its ability to reach a provisional trade agreement with the Trump administration within 90 days, contingent upon mutually beneficial terms.
In recent weeks, New Delhi has revised its tariff structure, reducing import duties on approximately 8,500 industrial items. This includes cuts on American products such as bourbon whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, addressing a longstanding complaint from the US president. Officials are also considering US requests to lower import tariffs on American agricultural products, although agriculture is a politically sensitive sector in India.
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