New Delhi: The sixth round of talks on the much-awaited Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between India and the US has been completed in New Delhi. Brendan Lynch, business representative and chief negotiator for South and Middle Asia, participated in the talks from the US side, while Rajesh Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, led from India’s side. The talks lasted for about 7 hours.
First high-level trade meeting after 50% tariff
Brendon Lynch arrived in India on Monday night (September 15). The visit comes at a time when the US imposed a 50 percent tariff on India for buying crude oil from Russia. This was the first visit to India by a senior US trade official after this dispute. India has described this heavy duty as “unfair and one-sided”.
Statement of the US Embassy and India regarding the meeting
The US Embassy described the meeting as “positive and constructive”. In a statement issued by the Commerce Ministry, it was said that, “The talks on the bilateral trade agreement between India and the US were positive and visionary. It includes many important trade aspects and both the countries have agreed to bring the talks to a conclusion soon.”
Amendment made in the pre-scheduled meeting
It is worth noting that the talks on this agreement started in February 2025 when the leaders of both the countries directed the officials to work in this direction. The sixth round of meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on 25-29 August, but it was postponed after the US imposed tariffs. Now this meeting concluded on 16 September.
India defended national interests
According to sources, India made it clear in the meeting that the purchase of crude oil from Russia is entirely based on national interest and market requirement. India insisted that it would not compromise on the interests of its farmers, dairy producers and MSME sector in any trade agreement.
Now preparations for the next phase
A senior official of the Commerce Ministry said that this meeting should not technically be seen as the sixth round of official talks, but as a pre-negotiation. However, this has given a new turn to the talks between the two countries towards the trade agreement and now it is expected that the first phase of the agreement will be finalized by the end of the year 2025.
Let us tell you that US President Donald Trump had posted on the social media platform Truth Social on September 10, Trump wrote, “I am pleased that India and America are continuing talks to remove trade barriers. I am looking forward to talking to Prime Minister Modi soon. I am confident that a successful agreement will not be a difficult task for both great countries.
Prime Minister Modi’s positive response
At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while responding to Trump’s post, wrote, “India and America are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade talks will pave the way to open the limitless possibilities of India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions as soon as possible. I also look forward to talking to President Trump, together we will ensure a bright and prosperous future for the people of both countries.
