The Indian government announced on Friday that it will negotiate with the United States to conclude a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement aimed at enhancing trade in goods and services. Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, stated in response to a question regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about imposing tariffs on India that the two sides will engage in negotiations to reach a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement spanning multiple sectors.
Jaiswal added that India and the United States had agreed on these negotiations during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the U.S. last month, noting that Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held meetings in the United States during his visit to discuss this issue. The spokesperson emphasized that the goal of the agreement is to boost bilateral trade in goods and services, increase market access, reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, and deepen supply chain integration between the two countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously stated that he would reciprocate India's imposition of very high tariffs and that the United States would impose significant tariffs on Indian goods.