India, US Close to Finalizing Trade Deal; Piyush Goyal Says “No Deals Under Pressure or Deadlines”

New Delhi: India and the United States are on the verge of finalizing a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement, according to senior government officials. However, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has made it clear that India will not rush into any pact or negotiate under external pressure.

Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal reaffirmed India’s commitment to fair and balanced trade relationships, stating, “We do not do trade deals in a hurry, and we do not do deals with deadlines or with a gun to our head. India makes decisions based on strategy, not speed.”

He added that active discussions are ongoing not only with the US but also with the European Union. Officials familiar with the talks said that both sides are now “very near” to sealing the deal, with only a few differences left to resolve. “We are converging on most issues, and no new hurdles have emerged,” one official confirmed.

This potential breakthrough comes after years of strained trade relations between New Delhi and Washington, particularly following the Trump administration’s imposition of steep tariffs—50% on several Indian goods and an additional 25% duty on imports linked to Russian crude purchases. India has consistently termed these measures “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”