- US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will visit India after the G7 summit in June
- A US-India trade deal is seen as achievable but unlikely to be finalised at the G7 meeting, an official said
- Trade talks will feature in Trump-Modi discussions at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will travel to India the week after the G7 leaders summit, a senior US administration official told Reuters on Saturday.
The official also signalled that Washington believes a trade agreement with New Delhi is within reach, though not imminent, the report said.
The G7 Summit is scheduled for June 15 to 17 in the French town of Evian-les-Bains, bringing together leaders from the world's major economies alongside high-level delegations from countries including India.
Trade will feature prominently when US President Donald Trump meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, next week, but no agreement is expected to be signed at the gathering itself, the official told reporters.
"We think a very good deal is possible. I don't think we'll close that deal at the G7," the official said.
The remarks nonetheless struck an optimistic tone on the relationship. "We know that Prime Minister Modi is quite ambitious about the role he sees for India, the importance of the US-India relationship," the official reportedly said. "We think a potential trade deal is part of that."
India-US ties have been under strain over American tariffs on Indian goods and Trump's repeated claims, denied by New Delhi, that he intervened to end India's brief military conflict with Pakistan last year.
However, the sentiment has shifted in recent months. India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said last week that the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement could be concluded by mid-July, with New Delhi pushing for preferential tariff treatment as part of an interim deal.
ALSO READ: PM Modi, Donald Trump To Meet On G7 Sidelines In France; Trade Discussions Likely
The two countries had struck a significant breakthrough in February, finalising a trade deal worth more than $500 billion under which the US agreed to reduce its reciprocal tariff on India from 25% to 18%, while India committed to bringing its tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American goods to zero.
The senior official said Trump and Modi would use their G7 meeting to take stock of where negotiations stand, but added that further technical discussions would likely be needed before any deal could be closed, according to the outlet.
Greer's planned India visit following the summit suggests both sides are keen to maintain momentum. A US delegation had already concluded four days of trade negotiations in New Delhi recently.
ALSO READ: Hormuz Blockade Violations 'Won't Be Tolerated', Says Rubio As India Protests Death Of 3 Sailors
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.