Overview

• The MEA said India and the U.S. agreed to intensify efforts after Assistant USTR Brendan Lynch held daylong talks in New Delhi with chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal on September 16.
• Sources quoted by multiple outlets report Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is likely to travel to Washington within days to resume negotiations on a phased Bilateral Trade Agreement.
• Washington’s duties on Indian goods stand at a combined 50%—a 25% reciprocal tariff plus a 25% penalty tied to purchases of Russian crude—with five formal negotiation rounds completed and a first tranche targeted for October–November 2025.
• Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran voiced guarded optimism that the additional 25% penal levy could be removed after November 30, a view presented as his assessment rather than a confirmed decision.
• In parallel, Goyal co-chaired the India–UAE investment task force in Abu Dhabi on September 18–19, reviewing CEPA implementation and reaffirming a goal of $100 billion in non‑oil trade by 2030.