Story perspectives

USTR Says India-U.S. Trade Deal Near Final Stage

By Drooid · Oct 3, 2026, 10:43 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

USTR Nears Deal

United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said negotiations on the India-U.S. trade agreement are in their final stage.
Both sides have identified the remaining items that are sticking points and are working to resolve them.
President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have another phone call very soon to assess progress.
The interim agreement framework announced on Feb 7 includes an 18% reciprocal tariff on originating Indian goods.

Summary

Supreme Court Nullifies Tariff

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 18% reciprocal tariff provision of the February 7 interim agreement.
In July, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed a 10% Section 301 duty on Indian imports over forced-labour concerns.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India lacks structural excess manufacturing capacity, refuting U.S. claims.
A U.S. law allowing up to 100% tariffs on the top five Russian-oil buyers lists India as a potential target.

History

Historical Context

Building on the 2005 US-India Trade Policy Forum that formalized bilateral trade talks, trade grew to $119.42 billion in goods in 2021-22. After Trump’s 2025 tariff spikes, the February 2026 agreement cut U.S. duties on Indian imports to about 18 percent in exchange for India ending Russian oil purchases. Today USTR Greer and Commerce Minister Goyal negotiate the remaining 10 percent Section 301 levy.

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USTR Nears Deal

United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said negotiations on the India-U.S. trade agreement are in their final stage.
Both sides have identified the remaining items that are sticking points and are working to resolve them.
President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have another phone call very soon to assess progress.
The interim agreement framework announced on Feb 7 includes an 18% reciprocal tariff on originating Indian goods.

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