30 June,2026 11:43 AM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondent
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Pic/AFP
Negotiations on the proposed India-US trade agreement have entered the final phase, with only a handful of issues left to be resolved, according to US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit in Washington, Gor said the agreement is "in the last one or two per cent" after nearly 18 months of negotiations.
He expressed confidence that the deal would be concluded soon, highlighting the intensive engagement between officials from both countries over the past few weeks.
Gor said senior trade officials from India and the United States have stepped up discussions to resolve the remaining issues and finalise the agreement.
"Just last week, US (Trade Representative) Ambassador (Jameison) Greer visited us in Delhi for two days and we are in hopefully the final steps of this deal. Most of this deal is complete. There's a few items that remain from both sides, but it's in the last one or 2 per cent of that deal," he said.
According to Gor, the pace of negotiations has accelerated as both governments work to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement.
Addressing questions about the duration of the talks, Gor said negotiations involving large economies are inherently complex and often take several years to complete.
"People ask you, why is this taken so long? We've been at the trade deal for a year and a half. To put it into perspective, the European trade deal took 20 years. And so, no matter what, as long as we beat the European deal, I think we're in good shape," he said.
He added that both sides remain committed to finalising an agreement that would benefit businesses and consumers in both countries.
"But I'm determined to bring this to a close because this is a deal that is beneficial to both sides. This is not one side or the other. This is a win-win situation where both sides can do incredible things and take this relationship to the next level," Gor said.
The ambassador said the agreement would bring greater predictability for companies engaged in bilateral trade and investment.
"It's also a deal that frankly for a lot of individuals in this room bring stability. For those of you that trade bilaterally, it's something that's incredibly useful and helpful," he said.
Gor also pointed to the high level of engagement between officials from both countries in recent weeks.
"As I mentioned, the trade deal, we're close to getting it done at very active negotiations. I mean, pretty much the last three weeks we've had travels back and forth. Minister Goyal was in New York... followed by Ambassador Greer in Delhi right afterwards," he said.
Highlighting the growth in economic ties, Gor said trade between India and the United States has increased significantly over the past two decades.
"Over the past two decades, our bilateral trade has increased from 20 billion to 220 billion. That's an incredible job and it's also something that we're gonna take to a much higher level," he said.
He referred to the ambitious target announced by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise bilateral trade to USD 500 billion over the coming years.
"What President Trump and Prime Minister Modi announced as a bilateral trade goal of USD 500 billion over the next few years, that's an astounding number that is unmatched," Gor said.
"We are ready to do so much with India. India exports more to the United States than anywhere else by far," he added.
Rejecting suggestions that the bilateral relationship had weakened, Gor said cooperation between India and the United States continues to deepen across multiple sectors.
"So to all those pundits that sit online and tweet and say, this relationship is in trouble, when you look at the facts of where this relationship stands, whether it's trade, whether it's defense, whether it's the people to people ties, the relationship is on strong footing," he said.
He added that President Trump places significant importance on ties with India and remains committed to expanding cooperation in trade, technology, defence and investment.
The proposed bilateral trade agreement is aimed at improving market access, reducing trade barriers and strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries. The negotiations gained renewed momentum after President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed on a roadmap to increase bilateral trade to USD 500 billion.
The trade talks are a key part of the broader India-US strategic partnership, which has expanded significantly in recent years to include defence cooperation, critical and emerging technologies, energy, semiconductors and resilient supply chains. Both governments have consistently described the partnership as one of the most significant bilateral relationships of the 21st century.
(With inputs from IANS)
