US trade officials to visit India for trade talks amid tariff concerns

NEW DELHI: A delegation of officials from the United States will visit India from March 25-29 for trade talks with Indian officials, a US embassy spokesperson said on Monday.

Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch will lead the group. “This visit reflects the United States’ continued commitment to advancing a productive and balanced trade relationship with India,” the spokesperson said. US President Donald Trump is expected to impose reciprocal tariffs from April 2 on various nations, causing alarm among Indian exporters.

India has an “obvious expectation”, a government source said, that the Trump administration could exempt it from reciprocal tariffs as the two nations continue talks on a bilateral trade pact. The source said US Vice President JD Vance is also likely to visit India in April.

Several industry groups have cautioned the Indian government that reducing tariffs on industrial products under U.S. pressure could lead to an influx of cheaper Chinese goods, resulting in dumping and harming domestic manufacturers.

Trade Minister Piyush Goyal spent nearly a week in the United States earlier this month in trade talks. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US last month, both nations agreed to work on the first phase of a trade deal by autumn 2025, with a target of reaching $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.

India and the US are engaged in discussions to resolve tariff-related issues and finalise a framework for a bilateral trade pact, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for India’s external affairs ministry, said last week.

“We value our ongoing engagement with the government of India on trade and investment matters and look forward to continuing these discussions in a constructive, equitable, and forward-looking manner,” the US embassy spokesperson said.