Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Apr 25: India and the United States have made positive progress during a three-day round of trade talks held in Washington, with both sides agreeing to remain engaged to maintain momentum in negotiations.

Around a dozen Indian officials were in Washington from April 20 to 22 to discuss the contours of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with US authorities.

According to a statement from the Commerce Ministry, the discussions covered a wide range of issues including market access, non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, economic security alignment and digital trade.

The ministry said the meetings were held in a constructive and positive spirit, with forward-looking deliberations that helped make progress on key aspects of the agreement.

Both sides agreed to continue engagement to sustain the pace of discussions as they work towards finalising the first phase of the trade pact.

Officials also indicated that changes in the US tariff landscape have prompted both countries to revisit certain elements of the agreement framework, the draft of which was released on February 7.

Meanwhile, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer described India as a “tough nut to crack” in trade negotiations, highlighting the complexity of ongoing discussions.