US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is set to visit India this week as New Delhi and Washington push to conclude an interim trade agreement that could form the first phase of a broader bilateral trade pact. Greer is scheduled to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and other senior Indian officials to advance discussions on the interim deal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump agreed to pursue earlier this year.
Announcing the visit, the Office of the US Trade Representative said Greer would discuss the "historic US-India joint statement" and the interim agreement as part of negotiations for a wider US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
The visit follows negotiator-level talks held in New Delhi between June 2 and June 4. Indian officials have indicated that both sides are working to resolve the remaining issues before finalising the framework of the interim pact.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal had earlier said discussions between Greer and Goyal were expected to focus on giving final shape to the agreement. On June 5, Goyal said India and the US were moving towards closing "all the open ends" and expressed confidence that the first phase of the BTA could be completed by the middle of next month.
The trade discussions have gained momentum following a meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France last week. Trump said the two countries were "very close" to finalising a trade deal and described Modi as a "tough negotiator", while highlighting the strong personal rapport between the two leaders.
An interim agreement is expected to address select market access issues and tariff concerns while laying the groundwork for a more comprehensive trade pact. Both countries have set an ambitious target of significantly expanding bilateral trade in the coming years.
After concluding his India visit, Greer will travel to Uzbekistan for meetings with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other senior officials to discuss trade ties and economic cooperation.
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