India-US Trade Deal Reaches Finish Line; Official Paperwork Complete said govt sources

Indian and US negotiators have finished all technical work and documentation needed for a proposed bilateral India-US trade deal, according to government sources on Tuesday. This indicates that the negotiations have effectively ended at the working level and that the process has now moved to political leadership for final decisions. 

According to India Today’s sources, the agreement aims to strike a balance since Washington is pushing for more American investments, goods, and services to enter India and therefore India is in demand for better access to the US market. Among the topics covered during the discussion were sensitive sectors like manufacturing and agriculture.

India-US Trade Deal: Final Paperwork Done

According to these sources, both parties have resolved all outstanding issues in all sectors and are still in contact while they wait for leadership approval to proceed with the agreement. A senior official confirmed that the negotiators had fulfilled their mandate and stated, “No strand of the trade negotiations is left to be ironed out.”. 

“The negotiators have done their part. The next steps depend on political decisions,” a source said according to India Today.

However, the precise details and timetable of the agreement are yet to be formally announced. 

The progress comes amid efforts by both governments to stabilize trade relations in the wake of recent disputes over reciprocal duties and tariffs. India has repeatedly raised concerns about market access for its goods and services, and the US had previously placed higher tariffs on some Indian exports. Officials from both sides have characterized the negotiations as positive and solution-focused despite these difficulties.

What does the Economic Survey 2026 say on the India-US trade deal?

Ongoing negotiations for an India-US trade deal are anticipated to conclude this year, which could help lower uncertainty on the external front, according to Economic Survey 2025-26.

The preface reads: “Although the President of the United States announced reciprocal tariffs of 25% on Indiain April, India was expected to strike an early agreement with the US administration and lowerthem. So, in August, when the American President announced an additional penal tariff of25% on most of India’s merchandise exports to the United States on top of the reciprocal tariff of 25% announced in April, it surprised many since India was expected to be one of the earlywinners in the new tariff regime of the United States. Growth forecasts were revised downward. But in reality, growth accelerated due to a slew of structural reforms and policy measures.”