Negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States are approaching their final stage, although an official announcement is not expected immediately, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Thursday. Speaking at the 2026 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting, Greer indicated that both countries had identified the main obstacles and were working to resolve the remaining differences.
Greer described the negotiations as being in the “short strokes,” an American expression referring to the final stretch of a process. He said the discussions were nearing completion but cautioned that several issues still required attention before the agreement could be announced.
The US trade representative also referred to a recent conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. According to Greer, the leaders held a constructive telephone discussion on Wednesday morning, US time, and could speak again soon to review progress on the trade negotiations.
“I don’t think there’s something imminent,” Greer said, explaining that both sides had identified the outstanding issues and were working diligently to address them.
Greer also described his meeting with India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal as productive. The two officials met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee. Their teams were continuing discussions to move the agreement toward completion.
Following the meeting, Goyal shared an update on X, stating that he had held productive discussions with Greer aimed at reaching an early conclusion to a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement framework.
The discussions took place alongside the telephone conversation between Modi and Trump, during which the leaders reviewed cooperation in trade, defense, energy, critical technologies, and other areas of shared interest.
Before Goyal’s visit, India’s Commerce Ministry had said the minister would work with his US counterpart to advance a balanced trade agreement and finalize an interim arrangement consistent with the joint statement issued on February 7, 2026.
India and the United States announced the framework for the first phase of their bilateral trade agreement in February. However, subsequent changes in US tariff policies have extended the negotiations.
On September 24, Goyal said the agreement was effectively settled from India’s perspective but indicated that its implementation depended on securing a competitive advantage for Indian exporters in the American market. India’s key competitors in the United States include China, Bangladesh, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The latest discussions signal continued engagement between the two governments as they work to resolve outstanding trade issues and establish mutually beneficial terms. However, the final terms and announcement date remain uncertain.
