India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to travel to Washington soon for trade talks, according to ET Now citing news agency PTI. The visit has yet to be officially confirmed and no travel dates were specified.

The possible visit comes at a tense moment in bilateral trade relations, after U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated tariffs on Indian imports last month. Tariffs were doubled to as high as 50% from August 27, a move linked to Washington’s pressure campaign against New Delhi over continued purchases of Russian oil amid the Ukraine conflict.

Despite the strain, both sides held discussions earlier this week, which Indian negotiators described as “positive” and “forward-looking.” This raised cautious optimism of a potential easing of tariff measures or broader progress in restoring trade confidence.

The White House and India’s South Block have also kept top-level communication open. President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone on Tuesday, underlining efforts to limit trade frictions at a strategic moment for the wider U.S.–India partnership.

India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has not yet commented on reports of Goyal’s impending U.S. trip. The talks will be closely watched for signs of compromise on tariffs, market access, and broader alignment in U.S.–India economic ties amid geopolitical turbulence.

Based On ET Now News