India-US Trade Deal Nears Finish Line, First Tranche May Be Signed Soon: Piyush Goyal

India and the United States are moving closer to finalising the first tranche of their proposed bilateral trade agreement, with most key issues already resolved, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. His remarks came as a high-level US delegation arrived in New Delhi for a fresh round of trade negotiations scheduled for June 2, 3 and 4. Goyal stated that members of the US negotiating team had already begun arriving in India and expressed confidence that the initial phase of the agreement would be concluded soon. He noted that the framework for the deal had been announced by the leaders of both countries on February 3. The minister also said the agreement would factor in changes to the US tariff structure before both sides move toward a broader and more comprehensive trade pact.