The actual signing of the India–US trade deal will take place once the new tariff architecture is in place, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said, according to PTI. Agrawal said India and the US are currently discussing the details of the agreement.
The India–US trade deal was earlier expected to be signed in March. However, the process slowed after the US launched a fresh round of trade investigations targeting India and 15 other economies. The US President Donald Trump’s administration announced the probe on March 11 after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down tariffs imposed earlier by the Trump administration. The ongoing conflict across West Asia may also have potentially put a spanner in the works.
US probe into trade practices adds fresh hurdle to India–US deal
The probe announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative will examine whether certain policies and industrial practices in these economies are harming American manufacturing.
India had earlier faced tariffs as high as 50% during the trade dispute with the US. Later, both sides agreed to reduce the tariff rate on Indian goods to about 18% as part of an interim understanding.
However, after the US Supreme Court ruling, Trump signed a proclamation on February 20 imposing temporary tariffs of 10% on imports from all countries for 150 days. The White House said the administration could use other legal tools to impose trade restrictions.
According to PTI, public submissions on the probe will open on March 17. Companies, trade groups and governments can submit comments until April 15. Public hearings will take place between May 5 and May 8 at the US International Trade Commission in Washington.
India’s exports dip 0.81% in February; trade deficit at $27.1 billion
The remark by Agrawal came while he was briefing the media on India’s trade data. India’s merchandise exports dropped marginally by 0.81% to $36.61 billion in February and Imports increased by 24.11% YoY to $63.71 billion. The trade deficit stood at $27.1 billion.
Exports during the April-February period of FY26 went up 1.84 per cent to $402.93 billion.
However, imports also increased by 8.53 per cent to $713.53 billion during the period.