US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Bethany Poulos Morrison, has declared that Washington is “very, very close” to concluding the landmark trade agreement with India.

Speaking at an event, she recalled that in February 2026 both nations had announced their intention to finally conclude the historic deal, and she emphasised that the negotiations are now reaching their decisive stage.

Morrison explained that the proposed agreement would open India’s vast market of 1.4 billion people to American goods on terms that are reciprocal and mutually beneficial.

She linked this to the administration’s broader economic vision, known as Mission 500, which aims to achieve 500 billion dollars in bilateral trade by 2030. She stressed that this target is being pursued with urgency and determination.

She highlighted that 2025 had been a historic year for India–US trade. Bilateral trade in goods reached 149 billion dollars, representing an increase of more than 20 billion compared to 2024. US exports to India alone rose by 9.8 per cent, underscoring the growing appetite for American products in the Indian market.

On investment flows, Morrison pointed out that Indian companies are showing strong interest in the United States. At the SelectUSA summit, 20 billion dollars of new investment commitments were made by Indian firms, with 1.1 billion dollars in immediate investment already flowing into the American economy. She described this as a clear sign of the strengthening economic partnership.

She underlined that both sides are moving with urgency to expand economic ties, reflecting the momentum in trade and investment relations. This urgency was further demonstrated by the high-level meeting in New Delhi between US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

The talks focused on advancing the Interim Agreement, which was originally launched by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The official account of the US Embassy in India confirmed that the United States remains focused on securing a fair and reciprocal trade deal that opens markets for American exporters while delivering benefits to both nations. The embassy noted that the meeting at Vanijya Bhawan was aimed at pushing forward both the interim arrangement and the broader Bilateral Trade Agreement.

Ambassador Greer was joined by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and a senior American trade delegation for these high-stakes discussions. The embassy’s statement reiterated the commitment to a deal that would be mutually beneficial and transformative for both economies.

Earlier, Minister Goyal welcomed the visiting American officials to the Department of Commerce. He expressed optimism about the future of the trade relationship and acknowledged the presence of Ambassador Gor and the accompanying US delegation as a valuable contribution to the ongoing negotiations.

This sequence of events reflects the accelerating pace of India–US trade diplomacy. With both sides signalling urgency and optimism, the conclusion of the historic trade deal appears imminent, marking a new chapter in the economic partnership between the two democracies.

ANI