India-US trade deal talks near end, but no immediate breakthrough: Greer

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said India and the US are close to concluding an interim trade deal, though no breakthrough is imminent. The remaining sticking points are now clearly identified, and another Trump-Modi call may review the final push.Washington,Oct 2, 2026 06:12 ISTUS Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said there is no immediate breakthrough on the proposed trade deal with India, even as both sides have identified the main sticking points and are continuing discussions. He said the talks were nearing the final stage and efforts were on to conclude a mutually beneficial interim agreement.Greer also said US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may speak again "very soon" to review progress. His remarks came after the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest on Wednesday.Addressing a press conference after the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee on Thursday, Greer said he had a "very constructive conversation" with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday evening. "We had a very constructive conversation, minister Goyal and myself. Our staff is meeting right now since they're in the country, and we're here," he said.Greer said, "We are continually trying to finish the trade deal with India. I would characterise it, as we say in the US, we're in the short strokes. So, I think we're toward the end of it." He also said Trump and Modi had a "very constructive call" on Wednesday morning. At the same time, Greer said there was no immediate announcement expected. "At the same time, there's no – I don't think there's something imminent – but we truly have identified the universe of items that are sticking points. We're working diligently toward them," he said. He added, "My sense is that the president and the prime minister may have another call very soon on this, just to assess progress and where we are."India and the US had announced in February that they had finalised the framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement. However, changes in the tariff landscape in the US led to further negotiations on the pact. On September 24, Goyal said the trade pact was "done and dusted" and would be executed once the US gave India the right competitive advantage over its competitors in the American market. India's competitors in the US market include ASEAN countries, China and Bangladesh. In summary, Greer said India and the US were close to the end of the trade talks but not at the point of an immediate deal, with both sides still working through the remaining sticking points and the two leaders expected to review progress again soon.With PTI Inputs- Ends