India and the US are set to kick off a fresh round of trade negotiations in Washington on April 20, focusing on the impact of US tariffs on their bilateral trade deal.
The three-day talks will finalise the first phase of a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with a 12-member Indian delegation led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain engaging with US counterparts.
The discussions come after a US Supreme Court ruling that struck down sweeping reciprocal tariffs, replaced by a temporary 10% tariff on all countries for 150 days.
India had secured a preferential structure with US tariffs on Indian goods set to drop from 50% to 18%, but this advantage has now been eroded.
With the deal yet to be signed, India has flexibility to revisit commitments, aiming to restore its cost advantage in the US market.
The negotiations will also address ongoing probes by the US Trade Representative under Section 301, which India has contested as unjustified.
The talks come at a time when China has overtaken the US as India's largest trading partner, with India's exports to the US rising marginally by 0.92% to $87.3 billion.
