US trade chief Jamieson Greer to visit India as both sides race to seal interim trade deal
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will hold ministerial-level talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi this week as both countries seek to finalise the first phase of an interim trade deal
United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is arriving in New Delhi this week to hold ministerial-level talks with India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
The two-day visit, scheduled for June 23–24, aims to give the final touches to the first phase of an interim trade deal and advance negotiations on a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement.
Announcing the visit on Sunday, the Office of the US Trade Representative (UTSR) said, "This week, Ambassador Jamieson Greer will travel to New Delhi, India, to meet with the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India, Piyush Goyal, and other senior Indian officials to discuss the historic US-India joint statement and the interim agreement as part of the broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations."
More from WorldFinalising the framework deal
The upcoming discussions will centre on locking in a framework agreement that chief negotiators from both sides hammered out earlier this month in New Delhi.
According to Indian Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, this deal represents the first phase of a larger trade pact intended to stabilise commercial relations that have seen intermittent friction over the last year. Minister Piyush Goyal previously indicated that both nations are pushing to close all open ends, aiming to execute this initial phase by mid-July.
Recalibrating in a shifting tariff environment
A key reason for the urgency is the July 24 deadline, when the 150-day period of the US administration's 10 per cent blanket tariff on all imports comes to an end.
The talks are also taking place against a very different backdrop from February. At the time, the two sides had outlined a framework under which the US agreed to reduce tariffs on certain Indian goods from 50 per cent to 18 per cent, setting a more favourable starting point for negotiations.
With the blanket 10 per cent tariff structure currently in play, India is now actively seeking a competitive edge for Indian exports over regional competitors like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In return, India has agreed to cut or eliminate tariffs on all US industrial goods and key agricultural products, finalising market access for items such as tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, wine, and sorghum.
Plus, while India previously expressed intentions to purchase over $500 billion in US energy, technology, and aircraft over five years, recent official factsheets have softened this from a rigid commitment to an expression of intent.
Navigating section 301 investigations
Despite optimism around the talks, Ambassador Greer’s visit comes amid lingering trade frictions. The USTR is conducting a Section 301 investigation into around 60 countries, including India, over concerns that they have not done enough to prevent imports linked to forced labour.
As part of the probe, the USTR has proposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on certain goods. The public comment period closes today, while hearings are scheduled in Washington on July 7. Given the broad powers available under Section 301, businesses and investors will be closely watching the New Delhi discussions for signs that a bilateral deal could help avoid additional trade penalties.
The shrinking bilateral trade deficit
The push for an interim deal comes as trade between the two countries continues to grow, while the gap in their trade balance narrows. The US remained India's second-largest trading partner in 2025–26. Indian exports to the US edged up 0.92 per cent to $87.3 billion, while imports from the US rose nearly 16 per cent to $52.9 billion, driven largely by higher purchases of American energy products and coking coal.
As a result, India's trade surplus with the US narrowed to $34.4 billion from $40.89 billion a year earlier. Greer's visit is also significant because it marks the first time the top US trade official has travelled to India during the current round of negotiations.
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