new delhi: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that India is in ‘active dialogue’ with the United States for a free trade agreement.
The minister said that negotiations are going on with the European Union as well in the national capital for concluding a trade agreement.
Besides, he added, India is also in talks with New Zealand for a trade pact. “We are in active dialogue with USA and New Zealand,” Goyal said at an event of industry body FICCI.
The minister said that India has already concluded trade pacts with Mauritius, EFTA bloc, the UK, UAE and Australia. Also, the minister said: “We will soon finalise second tranche of trade agreement with Australia”. A trade pact with Oman too is expected to be announced soon.
India and Australia have already implemented an interim trade agreement in 2022 and are now negotiating to widen its scope into a comprehensive trade pact.
The US has imposed a 50 per cent duty on Indian goods entering American markets.
India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since March. So far, five rounds of negotiations have been completed. For the sixth round, the US team, which was to visit India last month, deferred their visit.
Trade relations between the two countries have been strained due to the high tariffs.
Sources however said that things are on track.
India and the US are natural partners and teams from both sides are working to conclude negotiations on a bilateral trade deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday in response to US President Donald Trump’s remarks that efforts are on to address “trade barriers” between the two countries.