India and the United States have shown fresh momentum in trade discussions in New York, raising the prospect of a Quad summit before the end of the year, sources familiar with the matter said.
Officials in Washington described the initial meeting between India’s trade delegation and US representatives as “going well,” offering the first signs of progress after months of stalled negotiations.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, accompanied by lead negotiator Rajesh Agarwal, held talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to restart discussions on a long-pending agreement. “The early signs are encouraging,” one source said, adding that both sides were “committed to moving past irritants.”
The New York meeting followed recent discussions in New Delhi between US official Brendan Lynch and India’s chief trade negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, where both sides agreed to fast-track the process. Talks centred on resolving key issues, with officials expressing optimism about concluding an interim agreement soon.
Negotiations had stalled after Washington imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian crude imports from Russia, driving overall duties on Indian exports to the US to nearly 50 per cent. The sixth round of talks, originally scheduled for 25 August, was postponed amid heightened tensions.
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A team from the Office of the US Trade Representative visited New Delhi on 16 September, laying the groundwork for this week’s discussions. Sources said that if the meetings continue positively, a Quad summit could be arranged before year’s end.
“The State Department has already begun laying the groundwork for a possible Trump visit to India,” one US official said.
Trade remains the most difficult area, with steep tariffs and the recent increase in H-1B visa fees weighing heavily on talks. Still, Washington appears keen to reach common ground.
“We’ve already seen the measures we’ve taken with regards to India, although that’s something we hope we can fix,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told, signalling a more conciliatory tone even as he urged Europe to step up sanctions against Russia.
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also met Rubio, underlining the broader strategic convergence that is driving the trade dialogue.
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