Teams of both India and the U.S. are presently engaged in "active negotiations" on the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), the government informed Parliament on Thursday (July 24, 2025).
In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said, "Discussions are aimed at adopting an integrated approach to further strengthen and deepen bilateral trade relations, including through enhanced mutual market access, reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and closer integration of supply chains." The Ministry of External Affairs was asked by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi whether the government has taken note of the recent announcement by the U.S. administration regarding the reimposition of tariffs on Indian exports.
"On the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Washington, DC on 1 July 2025, the External Affairs Minister referred to the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations that are going on between India and the U.S.," Mr. Singh said.
Both sides acknowledged the importance of "maintaining positive momentum" in these negotiations and expressed their commitment to an early conclusion of the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector BTA, the MoS said.
