India seeks to conclude a temporary trade deal with us this week

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India is on the right track to close a temporary trade agreement with the United States as soon as this week to avoid a “liberation day” tariff in Donald Trump, according to two people who were briefed on the talks.

The temporary deal, which will be among the first American trading partner, will be an initial step towards a comprehensive bilateral agreement between Washington and New Delhi. The two countries said that they would seek to put the finishing touches on the first segment of the full agreement by autumn.

India The customs tariff faces up to 26 percent, among the highest against the main economy, in light of the fees in which Trump was revealed on April 2.

Rajesh Agarwal, who headed the Indian delegation, was in Washington on Monday to try to get rid of the final details of the deal. S Jaishankar, Indian Foreign Minister, is expected to hold individual talks with his counterpart in the United States Marco Rubio on Tuesday or Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting in Washington.

According to the people who have been informed of the talks, the big deal is expected to be spared Politically influential agricultural marketsIncluding wheat and dairy, from the American customs tariff, although they indicated that the talks were still ongoing.

A senior Indian government official, who asked not to be named, said that there is a “lot of sensitivity” on the agricultural markets.

India also agreed to import more natural gas from the United States to reduce its trade surplus, which amounted to $ 41.2 billion for the fiscal year 2024-2025, according to the people close to the Indian government.

The two sides agreed on tariff cuts on one or both sides on thousands of elements.

The two countries adhered to more than twice their bilateral trade to $ 500 billion by 2030 during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in February. On Thursday, Trump promised a “very large” commercial deal that would “open India”. The next day, he said his administration “is looking forward to obtaining a full barrier, which is unimaginable.”

Agricultural products and dairy products are still sensitive.

India was able to protect the dairy sector from foreign competition in other commercial talks, including Negotiations with the European Union. The sector employs more than 80 million people, according to the government of India, and many of them are small owners.

There are concerns in India that foreign dairy products may come from cows raised on feed containing livestock products, making them outside the borders to religious Hindus.

Another person with direct knowledge of the conversations said that India agreed to import American agricultural goods such as nuts and fruits, despite the pressure of American industry routers to reach the markets.

On Monday, White House press secretary Caroline Levitte said that US officials “put the finishing touches on trade agreements. She said:” You will hear from the president, his team, and his commercial team, very soon, when it comes to India. ”

The Moody government adopted a more vital trade agenda this year, concluded a long -awaited agreement With the United Kingdom In May and announced plans to reach an agreement with the European Union by the end of 2025.

New Delhi and Washington have formed defense, technology and diplomatic relations in recent years in a joint front against China, and Trump has Pay India to buy more American weapons In order to reduce its commercial deficit.

However, the Moody government publicly intercepted last month after Trump claimed the credit for ending a brief but bloody conflict with Pakistan and I was offered to mediate On the disputed land of Kashmir.