“They (Indian negotiators) have been very difficult nut to crack…but they have been quite forward leaning,” Greer said at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington on Tuesday. “The type of offers that they have been talking to us about…have been the best we have ever received as a country. So, I think that is a viable alternative market.”
He said there is resistance in India to certain row crops and other meat and products. Row crops in the US include corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton.
So far, five rounds of trade talks have been completed for the BTA.
A US team, led by deputy trade representative Rick Switzer, meanwhile, held discussions with commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal on the first day of negotiations on Wednesday.
“The two sides exchanged views on matters related to India-US trade and economic ties, including on the ongoing negotiations for a mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement,” the commerce department said in a post on X.
The visit is crucial as India and the US are working to finalise the first tranche of the BTA. Washington imposed 50% tariffs on India, of which 25% are penalties for buying Russian energy, effective August 27.Trade experts said New Delhi must insist on balance and remain extremely cautious about giving concessions on agriculture crops or GMO products. They also cautioned that India should avoid making commitments until the US Supreme Court delivers its verdict on President Donald Trump’s tariff authority, which could reshape the entire negotiating table overnight.
As part of the BTA, the US has sought concessions on agriproducts like almonds, corn and apples, and industrial goods.
