US Chief Trade Negotiator Reaching India for Day-Long Talks: Govt Official

Trump administration's chief negotiator Brendan Lynch is arriving here tonight to hold a day-long talk on India-US bilateral trade deal, which were impacted after imposition of 50% import tariffs by the US on Indian goods.

The meeting comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly reacted to US President Donald Trump's positive assessment of trade ties between the two countries.

Five rounds of negotiations for the India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) have been held, and the sixth round of talks, scheduled from August 25-29, was postponed following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods by the US.

"We have indicated that in the past also the discussions are going on, the chief negotiator of the US is visiting India tonight and tomorrow will be holding talks to see what can be the picture "It is not the sixth round of negotiations but it is definitely discussions on the trade talks and trying to see how we can reach an agreement between India and the US," Rajesh Agarwal, India's chief negotiator and a special secretary in the commerce ministry said here on Monday.

He further said India and the US have been engaged in discussions through virtual mode on a weekly basis.

"There have been discussions going on but we were not progressing much because the overall environment was not conducive. Now we see there is a window...," the official said.

He however added that Tuesday's talks should not be seen as a 6th round of talks, but it may decide on future course of action.

"Tomorrow's talks will be a precursor to the sixth round of negotiations," Agarwal said.

Lynch is the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.

He oversees the development and implementation of US trade policy with regard to 15 countries in the region, including management of the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) as well as coordination of activity under Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) with regional partners.

India's exports have been affected following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on shipments to the US.

Last week, Prime Minister Modi had reacted warmly to US President Donald Trump's positive assessment of trade talks between the two countries, expressing confidence that the ongoing negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the partnership between them.

After weeks of strain in ties over Trump's tough rhetoric following his decision to impose 50 per cent tariff on India, the relations between the two countries have shown signs of a thaw of late.

It was the second time of late when Trump has spoken of his country's ties with India and mixed it with his praise of Modi, who has positively reacted to his comments.

The Trump administration has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including 25 per cent for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, among the highest imposed on any country in the world.

India has described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable".

Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.