US state department official visits India as trade talks pick up

Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer and his team will also be in India this week, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

A senior US State Department official will visit India this week as a team of American trade negotiators heads to the country to continue talks on a trade agreement.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker will visit from Sunday till Thursday to advance the “strategic partnership” between the two nations, the US Embassy in India said in a statement Sunday.

She will be in New Delhi and Bengaluru and will meet with senior Indian officials including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Hooker will also seek to deepen economic and commercial ties and boost US exports, according to the statement, and foster collaboration in AI and space exploration.

Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer and his team will also be in India this week, Bloomberg News reported earlier.

The two visits come after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day trip in India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian government has been eager to finalize a deal with President Donald Trump’s administration, which will likely lower the 50% tariffs levied by the US, partly as a retaliation for India’s purchases of Russian oil.