India is set to revive trade negotiations with the United States as an official delegation travels to Washington from April 20 to 22 to deliberate on an interim bilateral trade agreement. The visit marks a significant step toward finalising the legal framework of a deal that has undergone changes following recent shifts in US tariff policies.
Discussions will focus on reworking the agreement after the US Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). This development has prompted both countries to reassess the structure of the proposed deal. India is keen to move forward and align the agreement with the evolving US tariff regime.
The Indian delegation will be led by chief negotiator Darpan Jain and include sectoral experts. This will be the first in-person engagement between the two sides since October 2025, after a planned February meeting was postponed due to legal developments in the US.
In the interim, the US has imposed a temporary 10 percent tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, valid until late July 2026. Indian officials view this as a transitional arrangement and expect a new tariff framework to emerge soon. The objective of the talks is to finalise the legal text of the agreement in the coming months so it can be announced alongside the new US tariff structure.
The negotiations will also cover broader trade concerns, including US investigations under Section 301 into “excess capacity” and a separate probe into forced labour practices. India is among several countries responding to these inquiries.
The US continues to be India’s largest export destination, with shipments valued at $87.31 billion in FY26, while imports from the US rose to $52.9 billion, driven largely by energy purchases.