Farm and dairy market entry stays key sticking level
17 September 2025
3 minute learn
Commerce discussions between Indian and US officers on Tuesday have been “optimistic” and “forward-looking”, New Delhi mentioned, after President Donald Trump struck a extra conciliatory tone following punitive tariffs on India over its Russian oil purchases, reported Reuters.
Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned they spoke by cellphone on Tuesday to mark the latter’s seventy fifth birthday, which falls on Wednesday, and Trump mentioned he thanked Modi for his assist in ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, however gave no particulars.
A US delegation led by Brendan Lynch, assistant US commerce consultant for South and Central Asia, met Indian commerce officers headed by Chief Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal in New Delhi.
“It was determined to accentuate efforts to realize early conclusion of a mutually useful Commerce Settlement,” India’s commerce ministry mentioned in an announcement, additionally with out giving particulars.
Talks coated bilateral commerce ties, together with a doable India-US commerce deal, it added.
Either side at the moment are anticipated to carry a proper sixth spherical of commerce negotiations.
Nevertheless, it was not instantly clear whether or not New Delhi would meet Trump administration’s demand to chop Russian oil purchases, or open its agriculture and dairy sector for the US corporations, a serious demand within the negotiations.
The decision was the primary publicly identified between Trump and Modi in three months.
Modi posted his thanks on X to Trump for the birthday greetings and added: “Such as you, I’m additionally totally dedicated to taking the India-US Complete and World Partnership to new heights. We help your initiatives in the direction of a peaceable decision of the Ukraine battle.”
Trump posted on his Fact Social platform: “Simply had a beautiful cellphone name with my pal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I needed him a really Blissful Birthday! He’s doing an incredible job. Narendra: Thanks to your help on ending the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”
Neither gave any element of any settlement on Ukraine, however the name seemed to be a signal of additional thawing of US-Indian tensions, which blew up in current months elevating questions concerning the future relationship between the companions, which share considerations about China.
Trump final month imposed a 25% punitive levy on Indian imports from August 27, doubling total tariffs to 50%, as a part of Washington’s stress marketing campaign on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
A deliberate US delegation go to to New Delhi from August 25-29 was cancelled after talks stalled, with India resisting US calls for to open its huge farm and dairy markets.
India’s exports to the US fell to $6.86 billion in August from $8.01 billion in July, commerce ministry knowledge confirmed on Monday.
Exporters have warned the complete impression of upper tariffs could be felt from September, as soon as the brand new duties took impact.
