US team in India to enhance bilateral trade relationship

New Delhi, Oct 5 (Representative) The US said on Tuesday that it seeks to enhance its bilateral trade relationship with India by addressing trade concerns, identifying areas for increased engagement and developing an ambitious shared vision for the future of the trade relationship.

In a tweet, the US Embassy in India said: “The U.S. seeks to work with India to enhance our bilateral trade relationship by addressing trade concerns, identifying specific areas for increased engagement and developing an ambitious, shared vision for the future of the trade relationship.” The remarks came as the Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Patricia A. Lacina welcomed to India, Christopher Wilson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, Brendan Lynch, Deputy Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia, and Emily Ashby, Director. “The delegation is looking forward to constructive meetings this week and to a productive upcoming meeting of the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum this year,” the embassy tweeted.

The upcoming trade talks come days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an in-person bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington, during which the two spoke on trade as well. On Trade, Modi said that India-US trade will continue to assume importance and is “actually complementary”. “There are things that you have and there are things that we have, and then we in fact complement each other. I find that the area of trade during this decade, that is going to be tremendously important,” he said in Hindi. In the joint statement issued after the talks, the two leaders said “they looked forward to reconvening the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum before the end of 2021, to enhance the bilateral trade relationship by addressing trade concerns, identifying specific areas for increased engagement and developing an ambitious, shared vision for the future of the trade relationship”. The Leaders looked forward to convening the U.S.-India CEO Forum and the Commercial Dialogue in early 2022, leveraging the talents of the private sector. The Leaders noted ongoing negotiations on an Investment Incentive Agreement that facilitates investment in development projects and committed to an early conclusion, the statement said.