A senior delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, led by Deputy USTR Ambassador Rick Switzer, will arrive in India on December 9. The three-day visit is part of the ongoing India–U.S. trade engagement, according to official sources cited by ANI. Formal negotiations are set for December 10 and 11.
Both sides will review the full spectrum of trade issues as they push to advance the India–U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, India’s Chief Negotiator, will lead the Indian team through the latest round of talks.
India remains confident that the first tranche of the BTA can be completed within the current calendar year despite global uncertainties. On November 28, speaking at the FICCI Annual General Meeting, Agarwal said, “I think our expectations… we are very optimistic and very hopeful that we should find a solution within this calendar year.”
Progress has been steady, but the original target to finish the first tranche by fall 2025 slipped after recent shifts in U.S. trade policy. These include a series of tariff actions by President Donald Trump, who imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods from August 1, followed by an additional 25% increase a few days later.
The White House linked the measures to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and to broader reciprocal tariffs against countries where the U.S. faces trade deficits.
Despite these disruptions, multiple rounds of negotiations have continued since the agreement was formally proposed in February, following directions from the leadership of both countries. The BTA carries a long-term ambition to expand bilateral trade from $191 billion to $500 billion by 2030.
The framework was first announced earlier this year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington.
The latest discussions also fit into India’s wider trade strategy. The country has already concluded 14 Free Trade Agreements and six Preferential Trade Agreements, with negotiations underway with several partners, including the European Union.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the HT Leadership Summit 2025, underlined India’s independent foreign policy, noting that “for any country to expect to have a say on how we develop our relations with others is not a reasonable proposition.”
He reiterated that India will continue to uphold ‘strategic autonomy’ and ‘freedom of choice’ in its international partnerships.
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