India and the United States are in the final stages of concluding an interim bilateral trade agreement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed trade on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.
Misri said the negotiations had already made significant progress and that both leaders had instructed their teams to move quickly to wrap up the pact.
He also said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will visit India next week to carry the discussions forward, underscoring that the process has entered a decisive phase.
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#WATCH | Paris, France: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says, "With the United States, we have made significant progress already on the conclusion of an interim free trade bilateral trade agreement. We are in the final stages of concluding that agreement. Next week in fact the… pic.twitter.com/npjLYW27E5
— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2026
A diplomatic kettle nearing the boil
The briefing offered the clearest official indication yet that New Delhi and Washington are trying to close the first tranche of a broader trade arrangement that has been under discussion for months.
Misri said the proposed pact featured prominently in the Modi-Trump meeting and that both leaders had directed officials to expedite its conclusion. Reuters reported that Trump described the conversation as "very good" and said the two countries were working on trade deals. He also called Modi a "tough negotiator" and said he would travel to India "sometime in the future."
Paris, France: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says, "India already expressed its strong confidence in India's rapidly growing economy and expressed its readiness to expand its local footprint and deepen its presence and its partnership with India. So that's the first two themes,… pic.twitter.com/J9T4foRLhZ
— IANS (@ians_india) June 18, 2026
Beneath the cordial handshakes
The G7 meeting was the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since February 2025, when Modi visited Washington soon after Trump returned to the White House.
The broader relationship has since faced pressure from higher US tariffs on Indian goods, Washington’s criticism of India’s purchase of Russian oil, and closer US engagement with Pakistan.
The trade push also came against a wider strategic backdrop: Modi told Trump that the safety of Indian seafarers operating through the Strait of Hormuz was of "utmost importance" to New Delhi, adding that the issue should receive the highest priority during the implementation of the agreement.
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The finishing tape draws nearer
Misri said the two sides had already reached an interim understanding on trade in February after nearly a year of negotiations, but the latest talks suggest both governments now see an opening to convert that understanding into a more concrete deal.
He said there are "ups and downs" in relations between nations and that leaders deal with them as they arise.
With Greer set to visit India next week, the next round of talks will determine whether the progress described in New Delhi can be turned into a final text. For now, both sides are signaling momentum but not completion.
FAQs
Q1: What did India say about the proposed trade agreement with the US?
Ans: India said the interim bilateral trade agreement with the US is in its final stages, with both sides working to conclude negotiations soon.
Q2: Why is US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer visiting India?
Ans: Greer is expected to visit India next week to advance discussions and help finalise the proposed trade pact.
