The US currently imposes a total tariff of 50% on imports from India, of which 25% is a reciprocal tariff, and the other 25% is imposed as a penalty on India’s imports of Russian oil. file. , Photo courtesy: The Hindu
A team of negotiators from the US will visit India on December 10-12 to take forward talks on the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement dealing with tariffs between the two countries.
According to Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) sources, the US delegation is expected to be led by Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer, while the Indian side will be represented by Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary in MOCI.
This conversation is not expected to become an official round of talks, the last round of which was held in the US in October. However, both sides are hoping to make “strong progress” toward addressing the tariff issue.
The US currently imposes a total tariff of 50% on imports from India, of which 25% is a reciprocal tariff, and the other 25% is imposed as a penalty on India’s imports of Russian oil.
Last month, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, who was India’s chief negotiator on the US trade deal until he took over as commerce secretary in October, said he expected the first tranche of the BTA dealing with tariffs to be concluded soon.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has also expressed similar sentiments about the deal.
It is also reliably learned from officials closely following the deal negotiations that India has presented to the US a revised version of its “final concessions” on broader issues of market access and territorial gains.
“Officials and negotiators have done what they could on that front,” said a second official. “Now it’s really up to the leaders, and that’s one by one.”
There are also indications that a “more senior” US government official may also accompany the US delegation to India.
published – December 06, 2025 04:27 PM IST
