The India-U.S. trade deal remains unsigned after months of negotiations, with the Iran war and a U.S. court ruling against tariffs creating room for fresh bargaining — a delay experts warn could come at a cost.
The first tranche of the deal was expected to be finalized by mid-March, but talks are still ongoing, leading to further delays.
″[The] Iran conflict is pulling diplomatic bandwidth toward energy security and geopolitical crisis management,” said Reema Bhattacharya, head of Asia research at Verisk Maplecroft, adding that this could stall trade talks further as a result.
An Indian trade delegation wrapped up its visit to the U.S. on Thursday, but the talks have not led to a conclusive announcement.
“Both sides are working towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking trade agreement, taking into account each other’s concerns and priorities,” a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on the same day.
