Modi, Trump report progress toward US-India trade deal
TLE DESK: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have reported significant progress in negotiations aimed at finalising an interim bilateral trade agreement between the two countries.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, marking their first face-to-face discussion since their meeting in Washington in February 2025.
According to a statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, both leaders expressed satisfaction over the advancement of trade talks and directed officials to work toward reaching a “commercially meaningful agreement” as soon as possible.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the two sides were “very close” to a trade deal and praised Modi’s negotiating skills, describing him as “one of the toughest negotiators.”
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to visit India next week for another round of discussions. Washington and New Delhi have set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 and have been engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations to address tariff and market access issues.
India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said the first phase of the trade agreement was “about 99 percent” complete.
During the meeting, Modi also raised concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. He urged the United States to ensure protection for Indian sailors as part of efforts to implement the recently announced US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the regional conflict.
India has been among the countries affected by disruptions in energy supplies following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments.
Modi warned that the consequences of the conflict could continue to affect developing nations, saying disruptions to fuel, fertiliser and food supply chains would have a lasting impact on countries across the Global South.
