India-US Trade Deal in ‘Final Stretch’, Says Greer; No Announcement Imminent

India and the United States are nearing the final stretch of trade negotiations, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday, while cautioning that an announcement was not imminent.

Speaking at the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Greer said talks were in the “short strokes”, an American expression for the closing stages of a task.

“I think we're toward the end of it,” he told ANI.

His assessment came after discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Sticking Points Identified

Greer said negotiators had established the scope of the outstanding disagreements and were working to resolve them.

“I don't think there's something imminent, but we truly have identified the universe of items that are sticking points, and we're working diligently toward them,” he said.

He described his conversation with Goyal as constructive and said officials were continuing their discussions during the Indian delegation’s visit.

“Our staff is meeting right now, since they're in the country and we're here. We are continually trying to finish the trade deal with India,” Greer said.

Another Modi-Trump Call Possible

Greer said Modi and Trump had held a “very constructive call” on Wednesday morning, US time, and could speak again shortly.

“My sense is that the President and the Prime Minister may have another call very soon on this just to assess progress and where we are,” he said.

The leaders’ latest conversation covered trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of cooperation. Greer did not announce a date for a further call.

Interim Agreement in Focus

Goyal, who met Greer on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ministerial gathering, described the discussions as productive.

In a post on X, he said the meeting focused on the “early conclusion of a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement”.

Ahead of the visit, the Commerce Ministry said Goyal’s engagement would seek to advance a balanced trade pact and finalise an interim agreement in line with the February 7 joint statement.

The two countries announced a framework for the first phase of the agreement in February, but subsequent changes to US tariffs have prolonged negotiations.

India Seeks a Competitive Edge

On September 24, Goyal had described the deal as “done and dusted”, saying it would be executed once Washington offered India the right competitive advantage over its rivals in the American market.

Those competitors include China, Bangladesh and ASEAN member states.

Greer’s latest comments indicate that outstanding issues still require negotiation, even as both governments signal progress towards an agreement.

With inputs from ANI