Piyush Goyal, US trade chief meet in Milwaukee to push India-US trade deal

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee as India and the United States stepped up efforts to conclude a “balanced and mutually beneficial” bilateral trade agreement.

The meeting took place on Wednesday, the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump spoke over the phone to review progress in bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest.

Ahead of Goyal’s visit to the US, the Commerce Ministry had said he would hold discussions with Greer on moving forward talks on the proposed trade pact. In a statement on September 28, the ministry said, “Goyal will also engage bilaterally with his counterpart from the United States as part of ongoing efforts to advance a balanced and mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and finalise an interim deal in line with the Joint Statement of 7 February 2026.”

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 have led to further negotiations on the pact.

On September 24, Goyal had said the trade pact between India and the US is “done and dusted” and will be executed once the United States gives 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.

The meeting between Goyal and Greer in Milwaukee comes amid continued engagement by both sides to take forward the proposed trade agreement, with India pressing for terms that provide it a competitive edge in the US market.