The Centre, on Tuesday, said India and the US have acknowledged the enduring importance of bilateral trade between the two countries and have decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
The government called the discussions between the representatives led by Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia and Rajesh Agrawal, Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, "positive and forward looking covering various aspects of the trade deal."
The two sides discussed the India-US trade ties, including on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, a release from the ministry of commerce and industry stated.
This was the first visit by a high-ranking US trade official after the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff and an additional 25 per cent penalty on Indian goods entering the American market for buying Russian crude oil.
Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics. India has also dubbed the US actions "unfair and unreasonable."
A senior commerce ministry official had earlier clarified that the meeting between Lynch and Indian officials should not be viewed as the 6th round of negotiations, but a precursor to it.
The meeting took place within days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly reacted to US President Donald Trump's positive assessment of trade ties between the two countries.
