Jaishankar Says Intricate India-US Trade Talks Nearing Closure As White House Signals Breakthrough

<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has voiced cautious optimism about the prospects of concluding an intricate trade agreement between India and the United States.</p>
<p>Speaking at a conversation hosted by Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad at the magazine&rsquo;s headquarters located at One World Trade Center in Manhattan, Jaishankar suggested that the two sides might be nearing a breakthrough, reported PTI.</p>
<p>”You spoke about trade, yes we are in the middle, hopefully, more than the middle, of a very intricate trade negotiation,” Jaishankar said during the exchange.</p>
<p>He acknowledged the sensitive and multilayered nature of the discussions, stressing the importance of mutual compromise. &ldquo;Obviously, my hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it, because there’s another party to that discussion,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>Jaishankar pointed out that both sides bring their own perspectives to the table, which must be reconciled. &ldquo;And just like the US or people in the US may have views about India, people in India have views about the US too. And we’ll have to find a kind of meeting ground. I believe it’s possible,&rdquo; he remarked.</p>
<h2><strong>White House confirms progress; India team in Washington</strong></h2>
<p>His comments come as the White House confirmed that a trade agreement with India is in the final stages of negotiation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, responding to questions at a briefing, noted that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, and that &ldquo;they are finalising these agreements. You&rsquo;ll hear from the President and his team, his trade team very soon when it comes to India,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p>Jaishankar indicated that an Indian delegation is already present in Washington DC and is actively engaging with US counterparts. &ldquo;So our expectation, our hope, certainly is that we will bring it to a common ground,&rdquo; he said, adding that the process involves extensive deliberations. &ldquo;I can’t vouch for which country has had how many rounds, but I suspect we would be among the countries which have done the most.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He described the scope of the ongoing negotiations as highly detailed. &ldquo;You are really looking at thousands of lines and doing very intricate trade-offs, both based on what are actually the market values of those lines and what could be the expected market values of those lines. So these are not simple, back-of-the-envelope calculations. Far from it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Reflecting on the broader trajectory of India-US ties, Jaishankar highlighted that despite occasional friction, the relationship has remained strong across presidential administrations from Bill Clinton to Donald Trump. &ldquo;The trend line over the last 25 years has been very strong because there are structural factors that work for the relationship such as economics, technology, education, security and energy,&rdquo; he explained.</p>
<p>He noted that while disagreements are inevitable, they have never derailed the relationship. &ldquo;Sure, it happens. It won’t be for the first time. In fact, at every one of these presidencies, I can think of something which at that time was a friction point,&rdquo; he said, recalling issues such as the US decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Relationships will never be free of issues, even I would say, differences. I think what matters is the ability to deal with it and to keep that trend going in the positive direction,&rdquo; Jaishankar concluded.</p>
<p><strong>Also Read : <a title=”India&rsquo;s Manufacturing PMI Hits 14-Month High As Export Demand Surges” href=”https://news.abplive.com/business/india-manufacturing-pmi-export-demand-hsbc-s-p-global-hiring-employment-inflation-input-costs-1784313″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>India&rsquo;s Manufacturing PMI Hits 14-Month High As Export Demand Surges</a></strong></p>