Goyal also emphasised that successful deals require mutual benefits and should not be rushed with deadlines to avoid mistakes.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said India and the United States are making “steady and substantive” progress in their ongoing trade negotiations, noting that five rounds of talks have already taken place and discussions during the current visit of the new USTR deputy were “very productive.”
“Negotiations are progressing well. We’ve had substantive discussions over several rounds of negotiations. In the past, I think five rounds have happened. The current visit is not a negotiating round. The current visit is a new deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) who has joined about three months ago. It’s his first visit to India. We’re getting to know each other…We had very good substantive discussions,” he said.
He also noted that a deal is done when both sides stand to benefit, and it should not be negotiated with deadlines because there can be mistakes. “But I have said on record that a deal is only done when both sides stand to benefit. We should never negotiate with deadlines because you tend to make mistakes then,” he added.
‘If they are happy then…’: Goyal
Answering a query about reported remarks of United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that the US has received the best-ever trade deal from India, Goyal said “the happiness of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is very much welcome.
“I do believe that if they are very happy, they should be signing on the dotted line,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Goyal expressed optimism about ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, stating that discussions are “progressing well” towards a bilateral trade agreement. Speaking on the sidelines of the Rajasthani Pravasi Divas, Goyal said a US trade delegation has been in India since Tuesday, and talks have been advancing positively.
