India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said at a press briefing that the country will not implement the pending United States‑India trade agreement until it secures tariff duties that are lower than those of competing exporting nations. He added that once this condition is satisfied the agreement will move to the implementation stage.
Goyal noted that the framework for the pact had already been finalised before the United States Supreme Court, in February, ruled that former President Donald Trump’s earlier tariff policy was unlawful.
The remarks follow a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France, where both leaders expressed optimism and Trump described the two countries as “very close” to reaching an agreement.
Despite repeated signals from officials on both sides that a deal is within reach, negotiations have extended longer than expected. Disagreements continue over tariff levels, market‑access provisions and protections for politically sensitive industries, and India has also sought safeguards against future U.S. trade investigations and tariff actions.
For now, Indian officials remain focused on resolving the outstanding tariff differences before the trade agreement can proceed to implementation.