US-India Trade Deal in Final Stages, Says US Ambassador Sergio Gor

Envoy says only the final 1% of negotiations remain as both countries continue discussions after nearly 18 months of talks.

The proposed US-India trade agreement is nearing completion, with only the final phase of negotiations remaining, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said while addressing the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit.

According to Gor, the agreement is almost complete after around 18 months of discussions between the two countries.

“We are in the final steps on this deal. Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain on both sides. It’s in the last 1 per cent of that deal,” he said.

Referring to the duration of the negotiations, Gor said:

“People ask, Why is this taking so long? We’ve been at this for a year and a half. To put it into perspective, the European trade deal took 20 years. So no matter what, as long as we beat the European deal, I think we’re in good shape. But I’m determined to bring this to a close.”

The ambassador highlighted the growing bilateral relationship and credited the personal engagement between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping advance cooperation between the two countries.

Gor also noted that President Trump continues to maintain a positive relationship with Prime Minister Modi and expressed optimism about future engagements.

Looking ahead, he said he expects President Trump to visit India again. He also announced that Quad foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in the Philippines in about two weeks.

According to Gor, the trade agreement is expected to provide greater certainty for businesses engaged in bilateral trade while contributing to stability for companies operating in both markets.

He added that both governments have maintained an active pace of negotiations in recent weeks, supported by multiple high-level interactions between trade officials.

Highlighting the growth in economic ties, Gor said bilateral trade has expanded from approximately $20 billion to $220 billion over the past two decades. He also referred to the joint target announced by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion over the coming years.