Indian delegation in US for another round of trade talks

US President Donald Trump

A delegation from India’s commerce ministry has reached Washington for another round of negotiations on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US, a government official has said.

The talks will begin on Monday and may conclude on either Thursday or Friday, the official added. India’s chief negotiator and special secretary in the Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agrawal, will join the discussions on Wednesday.

"Talks are on for the first phase of the BTA deal. The deal will be out in phases," this official said.

The aim is to conclude a deal that is mutually-beneficial for both India and US, the official said.

India and the US are simultaneously negotiating a mini deal as well as the first tranche of a Bilateral Trade Agreement.

The deadline for the more comprehensive BTA is fall of this year.

Earlier this month, the Indian team was in Washington for talks, with negotiations taking place from June 26 to July 2.

The talks come amid India’s broader push to expand its network of free trade agreements (FTAs) with several countries.

“We are trying to bring in free trade agreements with a number of countries,” Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said separately at an event in New Delhi, adding that talks are also underway with the US and the European Union (EU).

Barthwal acknowledged the complexity of such deals, particularly in aligning regulatory systems between countries. “These FTAs are complex ... regulatory practices dealing with FDI, services will have to be harmonised,” he said.

He added that the talks also aim to address issues related to intellectual property rights and dispute resolution frameworks.

“FTAs these days are looking at the regulatory harmonisation between the two countries — that’s why it’s time-consuming,” he said.

Barthwal cited the trade deal agreed to between India and the United Kingdom in May to articulate how robust modern FTAs are.

"India's FTA with UK includes a chapter on innovation, which was never discussed in earlier FTAs. We have mechanisms for innovation working groups in the agreement," he added.