India Sends Delegation to Washington for Next Round of Trade Talks

India’s Commerce Ministry will dispatch a delegation to Washington as early as next week for a fresh round of negotiations on an interim, Phase-1 bilateral trade agreement with the United States, according to Indian government officials. The visit follows talks held earlier this month in the US capital, led by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal. Officials said the agenda will cover tariff issues and other outstanding market-access questions, with the aim of outlining the contours of the first phase of a broader pact. The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of the United States’ 26% additional import duties on certain Indian goods, a measure recently extended until 1 August.