Piyush Goyal Heads to US on September 22 for Trade Talks Amid Tariff, Visa Concerns

Piyush Goyal to Visit US on September 22 for Trade Talks Amid Tariff, Visa Concerns

New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead an official delegation to the United States on September 22 for high-level trade talks, the ministry announced on Saturday.

The visit is aimed at advancing negotiations on a proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) and follows a round of discussions in New Delhi on September 16, where both sides agreed to intensify efforts for an early conclusion.

Goyal will be accompanied by Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and senior officials, with meetings planned in New York.

Key Issues on the Table

The talks come at a sensitive time, with Washington recently imposing steep tariffs—a combined 50% duty—on Indian exports, partly in response to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. The US has also announced a controversial hike in H-1B visa application fees to USD 100,000, a move industry body Nasscom has warned could disrupt Indian IT services and onshore projects.

During the New Delhi discussions earlier this week, US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch and Indian officials held a seven-hour session covering multiple aspects of the trade deal. Both sides reaffirmed their goal of concluding the first tranche of the pact by fall 2025.

Expanding Trade Ties

The proposed BTA is seen as a pathway to more than double bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030, up from the current USD 191 billion. The US has been India’s largest trading partner for four consecutive years, with bilateral trade in 2024–25 valued at USD 131.84 billion (exports: USD 86.5 billion).

Goyal last visited Washington in May, where he met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for similar discussions. On Thursday, the minister said talks were “progressing in the right direction.”