NEW DELHI: A high-level US delegation will visit India on June 5-6 to advance discussions on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), government sources said. The visit follows a series of productive meetings between India’s Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative in Washington, DC, from April 23-25.Talks between the two countries are progressing well, with India expressing satisfaction over the pace and outcome of the negotiations. The commerce ministry had earlier described the April 29 discussions as “positive” and “fruitful.”On May 23, ANI reported, citing official sources, that India and the United States are poised to sign the first tranche of the long-anticipated trade deal before July.As part of the BTA framework, the two sides have launched “Mission 500,” aiming to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. For the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, the US was India’s largest trading partner, with total trade valued at $131.84 billion. India registered a trade surplus of $41.18 billion in goods with the US during this period.Commenting on the broader trade agenda, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told PTI, “We are on track in our bilateral trade agreement with the US and making fast progress with the EU.”Meanwhile, the Indian government is also reviewing the implications of a recent US court ruling that struck down reciprocal tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. Indian think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has advised caution in proceeding with the BTA in light of the ruling.“India should resist any agreement shaped by threats or based on unlawful measures,” said Ajay Srivastava, founder of GTRI.
