The chill in India-US trade ties appeared to thaw slightly on Tuesday as a high-level American delegation landed in New Delhi to resume negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement. The team, led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, arrived amid weeks of tariff tensions and political sparring.
Adding to the anticipation, US White House trade advisor Peter Navarro struck a cautiously optimistic note, saying, &ldquo;India is coming to the table. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent out a very conciliatory, nice, constructive tweet, and President Trump responded to that. We will see how this works.&rdquo;
The talks mark the first face-to-face round since Donald Trump hiked tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent last month, citing India&rsquo;s continued purchases of Russian oil. That decision, part of Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;reciprocity&rdquo; trade policy, derailed earlier discussions and added new strain to the already complex relationship.
For India, the negotiations are being steered by Rajesh Agrawal, Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, who has been tasked with finding common ground while safeguarding sensitive domestic sectors such as agriculture and dairy.
Navarro, however, did not hold back in pointing to what Washington sees as barriers. &ldquo;On the trade side, they have the highest tariffs of any major country. They have very high non-tariff barriers. We had to deal with that, like we are dealing with every other country that does that,&rdquo; he told CNBC.
The Russian oil issue looms large over the talks. Navarro accused Indian refiners of profiting after 2022. &ldquo;They never did that before the invasion. They got in bed with Russian refiners and are making out like bandits. American workers get screwed,&rdquo; he said, underscoring Washington&rsquo;s frustration.
Still, despite the rhetoric, both governments are framing the talks as constructive. Trump recently posted on Truth Social, &ldquo;I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!&rdquo;
Modi echoed the sentiment in a post on X, calling the US a &ldquo;close friend and natural partner&rdquo; and affirming that teams on both sides were working to conclude discussions &ldquo;at the earliest.&rdquo;
For now, Lynch&rsquo;s presence in Delhi signals that both sides are willing to keep talking, even as tariffs and oil politics complicate the road to an eventual Bilateral Trade Agreement.

Trade Talks Restart as US Envoy Lands in Delhi

Navarro says India ‘coming to the table’ as Lynch leads US team for Delhi trade talks

Trade Talks Restart as US Envoy Lands in Delhi

Navarro says India ‘coming to the table’ as Lynch leads US team for Delhi trade talks

September 16, 2025 | 17:06 IST