US-India Bilateral Trade Talks: First Meeting in Washington on April 23

With President Donald Trump announcing a 90-day pause in imposition of tariffs, India has expedited the process to finalize a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US.

According to PTI, the Terms of References (ToRs), defining the purpose and structure of the trade talks, include 19 chapters, covering issues such as tariffs, goods, non-tariff barriers and customs facilitation.

An official team from India, led by Additional Secretary (Department of Commerce) Rajesh Agrawal, will visit Washington next week for three days, starting April 23, to iron out the kinks on certain issues before formal negotiations commence. This will be the first in-person talks between the two countries.

Elaborating on the contours of the meeting, an official said, “Both sides will discuss the level of ambition. The ToRs will be further developed and discussed. What will be the pathway for talks? The ToRs will include issues like tariffs, non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, and regulatory matters. General contours of the pact will be discussed, besides scheduling, so that things can be finalised in 90 days.”

Earlier, a senior government official had said that an interim trade agreement could be finalized during the 90-day tariff pause if a ‘win-win’ situation emerges for both sides.

The first meeting will be held at a time when US Vice-President JD Vance is scheduled to visit India. He will meet top leadership in India, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.