New Delhi: The US business delegation arrived in Nový Delhi on Thursday before the new rounds negotiations on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with India, scheduled for Friday, two people said.
This means the fifth round of personal discussions and the second leading the US party led by Brendan Lynch, assistant to the US sales representative for South and Central Asia.
The Indian party previously participated in three passenger rounds in Washington, the last one from 19 to 24 May.
Earlier conversations were conducted in virtual and physical formats during which both sides exchanged priorities and initial designs.
The upcoming discussions are considered to be a key step towards solving problems related to customs tariffs and strengthening two -sided business links.
India is looking for tariffs of concessions for key sectors such as textiles and medicines, while the US promotes a wider access to dairy, electronic trading and digital trade.
Also read |India is likely to strive to remove American steel tariffs into business conversations rather than immediate retaliation
“Lynch is accompanied by officials from the Office of the United States Sales Representative (Ustr), the US Department of Trade and Higher Negotiators, including Emily Ashby,” said one of the above and demanded anonymity.
“The Indian side will be led by the main negotiator of Rajesh Agarwal and both teams work in close terms to achieve a preliminary agreement before 8 July, when a temporary 90 -day pause on American mutual tariffs will be expired,” the person added.
As Mint first announced on May 16, the term thelooming has intensified efforts on both sides to sew a business agreement. On May 29, Mint announced that the US bargaining team was expected to arrive at Nový Delhi at the beginning of June, to potentially finally the wheels of personal discussions between India and the US. Both parties are trying to conclude an agreement to the last June,
According to the above -mentioned second person, the upcoming negotiations will focus on completing problems related to the market access, decreased tariffs and non -tariff barriers and potentially outline the framework for formal BTA.
“The key areas on the table include digital trade, intellectual ownership, agricultural goods and critical minerals,” the person added and also demanded anonymity.
A spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Office of the United States and the US Embassy in Nový Delhi on E -mail immediately did not respond.
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Tariff tension, china and fta
The latest round of personal interviews between India and the US comes in the middle of the growing tariff tension. The US recently rejected India’s announcement in the World Trade Organization (WTO), which questioned 25% of tariffs stored in Indian export of steel and aluminum.
India hopes to solve these problems through the BTA conduct, but indicated that it can exercise its right to retaliation in the WTO unless it reaches any solution until 8 June.
Interviews also carry geopolitical weight, happening in the middle of concerns about the recent Indian defense agreement with Russia – a problem allegedly upset Washington.
Both countries are also trying to diversify their supplier chains and reduce addiction to China and add strategic urgency to conversations.
Meanwhile, experts have pointed out caution because India is moving forward with negotiations on wider free trade negotiations (FTA) with the US.
Also read |Asian factories carry the scars of Trump’s tariff explosion
On May 28, the US International Trade Court overthrew the reciprocal tariffs of US President Donald Trump ”and considered them unlawful under the International Act on emergency economic powers.
While the court ruled that trade deficits were not a “unusual and extraordinary threat”, which is necessary to induce emergency powers, the ruling blocks the key pillar of Trump’s business policy, although section 232 of the steel tariffs and car imports remain unaffected.
“India should resist any agreement shaped by threats or based on illegal measures. These Trump tariffs not only violate the rules of the World Trade Organization, but the US court has now confirmed that it is also violating US domestic law,” said Ajay Srivastava, former business service official and economic global trade.
“Given that Trump tariffs standing on a shaking legal basis must suspend and re -evaluate its negotiating strategy before it is committed to FTA, which could disproportionately prefer American interests,” he added.
Also read |As the US court claims, Trump’s illegal tariffs, experts urge on India to re -evaluate business interviews
“India must seriously advocate a fair and mutual business environment in the upcoming personal negotiations on a bilateral commercial agreement, especially with regard to the rejection of our security security for steel and aluminum tariffs,” said Pankaj N. Umrania, CEO of KND Steel.
“These tax storage gave Indian manufacturers a clear disadvantage, disrupted global value chains and hurts processors and MSME,” he said. “To prevent the Indian industry from being unfairly penalized, we urge our negotiators to make steel and aluminum access to the US market with the highest priority.”
(Tagstotranslate) India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (T) US Business Delegation (T) Tariff Concession (T) USA negotiations
