New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) A two-member team of US officials visited India this month for talks on trade and customs facilitation issues, an official said on Tuesday.
The official said both sides are in regular touch on the finalisation of the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA).
"There was a two-member team, which was here for discussions on trade and customs facilitation," the official said.
India and the US have finalised the framework for the first phase of the agreement in February. However, changes in the tariff landscape have led to further negotiations on the agreement. India is seeking lower tariffs for its goods in the US market than its competitor nations such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia.
These remarks assume significance as US President Donald Trump suffered a crushing defeat in the mid-term elections.
The results, according to another official, will not have an impact on trade pact talks.
Last month, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India's bilateral trade deal with the US would protect all sensitive interests of the country, asserting that people would "celebrate" the agreement once its details are made public.
Goyal has expressed confidence that when details of the deal are released, the people of India will recognise that the sensitive interests of farmers and other stakeholders have not been compromised and that India will be placed at a strong comparative advantage.
The US has imposed an additional 10 per cent import duty on various countries, including India, from July 24. These tariffs follow a US investigation into forced labour issues under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. This duty is over and above the existing MFN (most favoured nation) rates.
India is also engaged with the US on a second Section 301 investigation over concerns about excess industrial capacity.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)