The visit could help prepare for a Modi-Trump meeting in Osaka, with the US scrapping duty concessions for some Indian exports and other impending measures that could adversely affect bilateral trade ties

New Delhi: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may visit New Delhi later this month en route to Osaka — the host city for the G-20 Summit on June 28-29 — and is expected to meet foreign minister S Jaishankar.

The visit could help prepare for a Modi-Trump meeting in Osaka, with the US scrapping duty concessions for some Indian exports and other impending measures that could adversely affect bilateral trade ties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump last met in Argentina in November. Bilateral differences are growing over trade issues, Iran and defence purchases from Russia. Trump had telephoned Modi following his re-election last month and in an unprecedented move, Modi received congratulatory messages from several US senators, businessmen and academics.

Pompeo’s visit would be one of Jaishankar’s first major engagements as foreign minister. He is expected to engage with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to prepare for the G-7 meet in France in August, where India has been invited as an observer along with Chile, Australia and South Africa.

Indo-US trade ties have been strained for the past year over restrictions on proposed US exports of dairy products and medical equipment, besides India’s requirements on data localisation and revised foreign investment norms for e-commerce companies.

Last week, the US threatened sanctions against any country buying oil from Iran and warned against buying Russia’s S-400 missile defence system. India and Russia signed a deal for the purchase of the S-400 system last year and delivery will begin next year.

The government on Saturday exuded confidence that India and the US would continue to work together to improve ties following Washington’s decision to withdraw duty concessions under the Generalised System of Preferences. “India, as part of our bilateral trade discussions, had offered resolution on significant US requests in an effort to find a mutually acceptable way forward. It is unfortunate that this did not find acceptance by the US,” the government said in a statement.

The government pointed out that GSP benefits given by developed countries such as the US to developing nations and are “unilateral, non-reciprocal and non discriminatory.” Commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan had stressed that the move would have a “minimal and moderate impact” amounting to $190 million on $5.6 billion of exports to the US that fall under the GSP category.