New Delhi: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said a United States delegation is expected to visit India next month for trade negotiations as both countries continue discussions on a broader bilateral trade agreement.
Speaking at an industry event, Goyal said plans are being worked out for US trade officials to travel to New Delhi for another round of talks following earlier negotiations held in Washington in April. The Indian delegation had visited the US capital to finalise details related to an interim trade pact and advance negotiations under the proposed bilateral trade agreement framework.
The minister clarified that the chief US negotiator for the agreement would not accompany US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his upcoming India visit, but indicated that a separate trade delegation is expected next month.
Rubio is scheduled to begin a four day visit to India from May 23, focusing on strengthening cooperation in trade, defence and energy. The visit will mark his first official trip to India as Secretary of State.
India and the United States had earlier finalised a framework for an interim trade agreement in February. However, trade discussions faced complications after a US Supreme Court ruling struck down reciprocal tariffs that had been central to the Trump administration’s trade negotiation strategy.
Subsequently, the US imposed additional import duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act and launched investigations under Section 301 into issues related to production capacity and labour standards involving key exporters. India has already submitted responses to these investigations, and consultations between both sides are continuing.
Goyal also highlighted growing American investments in India, stating that commitments from US companies over the past six months could exceed 60 billion dollars. He pointed to investments in data centres and technology infrastructure by major American firms as evidence of deepening economic cooperation.
The minister stressed that India and the US should work closely in sectors such as advanced technology, digital infrastructure, quantum computing, defence manufacturing and medical devices while building more resilient and trusted global supply chains.
