India Prioritizes National Interests in Trade Talks with the US: Piyush Goyal

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal reaffirmed India's commitment to protecting its national interests during trade negotiations with the United States, emphasizing an ‘India First’ approach.

Goyal stated that he had a "forward-looking discussion with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on a mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA)," underscoring that India’s stance is aligned with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and the country’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US.

The meeting follows Goyal’s recent discussions with Greer and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in the United States, which built on talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Both leaders had expressed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade, setting an ambitious target—dubbed “Mission 500”—to double trade volume to $500 billion by 2030.

US Trade Secretary Lutnick has conveyed Washington’s intent to negotiate a comprehensive trade agreement with India, moving beyond sector-specific deals to a broader economic partnership.

Meanwhile, India's government has clarified that no commitment has been made regarding tariff reductions on US imports. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, in a briefing to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, stated that trade negotiations are still ongoing, and India has not agreed to lower tariffs, despite claims made by President Trump.

Barthwal cautioned against taking Trump's statements at face value, emphasizing that India will not compromise its economic priorities. "We are committed to expanding bilateral trade but will not arbitrarily lower tariffs, especially in critical sectors," he asserted.