US President Donald Trump yesterday said that India and the United States are close to reaching a trade deal. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, he said the agreement would be different from earlier trade pacts. Mr Trump said both countries wanted to reach an agreement. His remarks came during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India, where he discussed strengthening bilateral ties in trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people relations. 

 

Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee and Washington to discuss the details of the proposed agreement. India and the US had announced in February the finalisation of a framework for the first phase of their Bilateral Trade Agreement. However, changes in US tariff policies have led to further negotiations on the pact.