Negotiations for a proposed bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States are progressing, and both sides are working to close the deal "quickly", commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT"Every free trade agreement stands on its own legs. My counterpart in the US and I have a very wonderful working relationship and a wonderful personal friendship. A delegation from the office of the US Trade Representative, led by deputy trade representative ambassador Rick Switzer, visited New Delhi in December 2025 for trade talks. When asked if Russian oil purchases by India are one of the irritants in bilateral relations, Goyal said: "I don't think that's an irritant.

Source: The Telegraph January 31, 2026 15:16 UTC