India, US Remain Engaged to Seal ‘Fair, Balanced’ Trade Deal as EU FTA Talks Gain Momentum

India and the United States are continuing negotiations to finalise a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), with both sides remaining actively engaged to conclude a deal that is “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial,” the government said on Friday.
Addressing the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said discussions between New Delhi and Washington are progressing.

“Both governments — the United States and India — continue to remain engaged with a view to concluding a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement,” he stated.

His comments follow recent remarks by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who said that India and the US are in advanced stages of negotiating the BTA. Goyal also highlighted that India has already concluded free trade agreements with three members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance — Australia, the UK, and New Zealand — while the US and Canada are the remaining members of the grouping.

Momentum in the India-US talks was reinforced earlier this month when a US delegation led by Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer visited India from December 9 to 11. This marked Switzer’s first visit to India in his new role. During the trip, he held meetings with Goyal, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, and other senior officials.

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Agrawal has previously indicated that India is “very close” to finalising an initial framework agreement with the US, aimed at easing reciprocal tariffs and resolving outstanding market access issues.

Parallelly, negotiations on the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement are also moving forward. Jaiswal said the 14th round of talks was held in Brussels in October, followed by visits by negotiating teams and discussions with the EU Trade Commissioner in December. “Both sides remain engaged, and we will see how we can take this conversation forward,” he said.

Agrawal has noted that India and the EU are narrowing differences after extensive engagement across multiple issues, with further physical and virtual meetings planned.

The trade push comes amid growing engagement with key partners. India recently concluded one of its fastest FTAs with New Zealand, enhancing market access and tariff preferences for Indian exporters and positioning the country as a gateway to the broader Oceania and Pacific Island markets.

With sustained talks underway with both the US and the EU, India is positioning trade diplomacy as a central pillar of its economic strategy.