The long-running India-US trade negotiations are entering their final stretch, with officials confirming that the interim bilateral agreement now needs only "final touches" before completion. The development comes ahead of a high-stakes visit by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to New Delhi this week.

Greer's Visit Schedule

India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirmed the timeline for the visit. "The United States Trade Representative is coming on the evening of June 22. On June 23-24, he will be" engaging with India's Minister for Commerce and Industry, Agrawal said. He added that discussions are expected to be centred around giving "final touches to the framework deal and also on the larger BTA that has been under discussion between the two sides".

This isn't Greer's first trip for these talks either. Agrawal noted that the discussions building on this visit follow the framework already discussed during a US delegation's visit to India in the first week of June, suggesting this round is meant to close out lingering details rather than reopen major points of contention.

Modi and Trump Signal Strong Momentum

The push for a deal got high-level backing just days before Greer's trip. India and the United States reviewed progress in negotiations during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, where both leaders "noted with satisfaction the significant headway made in talks" and directed officials to work toward a balanced, mutually beneficial agreement at the earliest. Trump himself described the two countries as "very close" to finalising the agreement, a notably upbeat assessment from the US side.

India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal struck a similarly optimistic tone, stating that both India and the US are likely to execute the "very, very vibrant" first phase of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by mid-July, with both countries inching towards finalising the interim trade agreement.

What's Already Been Agreed

The broad contours of the deal have reportedly been settled for some time. Both nations agreed in February to finalise the initial phase of the BTA, with the US agreeing to bring down tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from the 50% imposed earlier — slashing the 25% tariff tied to India's purchases of Russian oil and committing to cut the remaining 25% to 18% as well.

However, the path hasn't been entirely smooth. The US Supreme Court struck down the tariffs Trump had imposed on February 20, after which Trump responded by imposing 10% reciprocal tariffs on all countries for 150 days — a measure expected to remain in place until around July 24. That legal back-and-forth adds a layer of complexity to an otherwise advanced negotiation, and explains why both sides are eager to lock in the interim framework quickly.

Energy and the Bigger Trade Picture

Beyond tariffs, energy trade is shaping up as a key pillar of the broader agreement. Greer's visit is expected to give momentum to the India-US trade deal, under which India is expected to increase its imports of US energy — a move that would also help diversify India's crude supply mix at a time when Gulf shipping routes remain affected by regional tensions.

Agrawal also emphasized the scope of what's being negotiated, noting that the proposed agreement "covers the entire gamut of trade relationship between India and the US," rather than being limited to tariffs alone. Greer's trip also comes as India continues separate discussions with the US over proposed tariff measures under Section 301 proceedings, even as both sides work toward the broader bilateral framework.

For ongoing, authoritative tracking of US trade policy developments, the Office of the United States Trade Representative remains the primary official source for agreement details and tariff schedules.

What Happens Next

With both governments signaling strong momentum and a mid-July target for executing the first phase of the BTA, Greer's June 23-24 talks in New Delhi could mark the practical conclusion of months of back-and-forth. The bigger test will be whether the "final touches" genuinely wrap up the interim deal — or whether unresolved tariff and energy details push the timeline closer to the looming July 24 deadline tied to Trump's reciprocal tariff measures.