India is pushing for preferential tariff treatment in the US market as negotiations over an interim bilateral trade agreement enter the final stretch, with both sides working to conclude the first tranche of the deal in mid July likely, sources shared with Business Today.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, New Delhi’s key objective is to secure a competitive advantage for Indian exporters over rival manufacturing economies. The government has maintained that any interim arrangement must improve market access for Indian goods while offering tariff terms that are more favourable than those available to competing exporters.
The issue figured prominently during talks between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in New Delhi this week, where both sides reviewed progress on the proposed agreement and discussed pathways to conclude an interim deal.
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In a statement, the Commerce Ministry said India and the United States had made substantial progress in recent months and remained committed to concluding a “balanced and commercially meaningful” agreement.
Separately, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer struck an optimistic note on bilateral ties, saying US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed during their recent meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit to take the relationship “to the next level.” Greer said both leaders expected cooperation to deepen across trade and other strategic areas in the coming months.
The negotiations, however, continue against the backdrop of uncertainty over ongoing US Section 301 investigations involving nearly 60 economies, including India. Earlier this month, Greer proposed additional tariffs of up to 12.5% on imports from countries covered under a forced-labour probe, although no final decision has been taken.
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