NEW DELHI: A planned visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 has been cancelled, delaying talks on a proposed bilateral trade agreement, Indian business and financial news network NDTV Profit reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Indian media, citing sources, reported that the visit for a round of negotiations on the proposed bilateral trade agreement would most likely be rescheduled, adding that both sides were in contact, but a new timetable for talks was yet to be finalised.
This development came after US President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on India in July and threatened to “substantially” increase them on Indian imports over the country’s purchases of Russian oil.
The upcoming round of talks was much anticipated, given that it was scheduled around August 27, which is when the imposition of the additional 25% secondary sanctions on India is to take place, the report added.
The September–October deadline for finalising the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States now appears uncertain.
On Thursday, senior government officials said India remained “fully engaged” with Washington on the proposed trade deal, with talks continuing across multiple levels, from formal negotiating teams to ministerial, diplomatic channels, and industry-level interactions.