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India and the United States are likely to issue a joint statement on their bilateral trade agreement (BTA) within the next four to five days, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He added that the draft of the formal agreement is being finalised and is expected to be signed by mid-March.
Goyal noted that the two countries are “complementary economies” and said the proposed agreement would benefit both sides.
Negotiations for the bilateral trade agreement have been ongoing since PM Modi’s visit to the US in February 2025. The discussions gathered pace following a phone call between PM Modi and Trump on February 2, after which the deal was announced.
Addressing questions raised in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said negotiators from both countries had been engaged “at various levels” for the past year.
Goyal said both sides took measures to protect “important and sensitive sectors” during the discussions. For India, safeguarding agriculture and dairy was a priority.
“There were sectors which were important and sensitive from the US point of view. After negotiations for nearly a year, both sides have been successful in finalizing several areas of the bilateral trade agreement,” he told the Lok Sabha, speaking amid protests from some Opposition members.
Goyal noted that the two countries are “complementary economies” and said the proposed agreement would benefit both sides.
Talks accelerated after Modi–Trump call
Negotiations for the bilateral trade agreement have been ongoing since PM Modi’s visit to the US in February 2025. The discussions gathered pace following a phone call between PM Modi and Trump on February 2, after which the deal was announced.
Addressing questions raised in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said negotiators from both countries had been engaged “at various levels” for the past year.
Goyal said both sides took measures to protect “important and sensitive sectors” during the discussions. For India, safeguarding agriculture and dairy was a priority.
“There were sectors which were important and sensitive from the US point of view. After negotiations for nearly a year, both sides have been successful in finalizing several areas of the bilateral trade agreement,” he told the Lok Sabha, speaking amid protests from some Opposition members.
