Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will travel to the United States late this month to attend the G20 trade ministerial in Milwaukee, where he is anticipated to hold a bilateral session with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to a top official speaking on Tuesday. The two-day ministerial commences on September 30 under the US 2026 G20 presidency. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal stated, "We expect during the visit, definitely there will be bilateral meetings between the ministers...Bilateral is in the offing...Once it is worked out, we will let you know." And whenever the bilateral takes place, all trade issues between India and the US will be discussed, with ongoing FTA negotiations and the way forward on that definitely on the agenda for discussion.
According to NDTV and Rediff Moneynews reports, bilateral meetings between the ministers are definitely in the offing during Goyal's visit. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal stated that whenever the bilateral takes place, all trade issues between India and the US will be discussed. The meetings are expected to include ongoing FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations and the way forward on that as key agenda items, as reported by NDTV. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to participate in these discussions, as confirmed by Rediff Moneynews. A meeting between Goyal and Greer could be in the offing on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' meeting in Milwaukee, providing additional opportunities for bilateral discussions beyond the formal ministerial sessions.
Goyal's visit to the US assumes significant importance as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, but the talks have lost momentum. The two sides had in February announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of the pact. However, subsequent changes in the US tariff regime, following the US Supreme Court invalidating US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs, have necessitated further discussions on the agreement. Goyal recently said the first tranche of the BTA would come into effect once the US ensures that Indian exporters have a comparative advantage over their competitors in the American market. Countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are among India's key competitors in the US market, and a tariff differential in India's favour against these competing economies would improve the price competitiveness of Indian goods in the US. India has been holding off on signing the interim agreement on trade with the U.S., announced in February 2026, waiting for the U.S. to make clear India's tariff advantage over its competitors as had been agreed to. In the meantime, the US has levied a 10% tariff on India for not doing enough to stop the import of goods made using forced labour and is investigating whether India and other countries are using excess capacity to export to the U.S., which could see additional tariffs being levied.
The India-EU Free Trade Agreement is anticipated to be signed by the end of this year, according to Rediff Moneynews reports. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal confirmed that the trade pact is expected to be signed before the end of this year. The European Commission has sent the pact to the European Council for approval, after which it will be signed. "On the EU FTA, it is moving as per schedule," Mr. Agarwal said. "The European Commission has sent it to the European Council for approval. After approval, it goes for signing. We expect them to sign it before the end of this year." After signing, the agreement will go to the European Parliament for approval and ratification, a process that takes time but is expected to be completed. Agarwal noted that "as far as the process is concerned, till now this is the fastest that is happening in terms of signing and ratification."
India and Canada have initiated their fourth round of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) discussions, aiming to wrap up negotiations within the year. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal revealed that a large negotiating team from Canada comprising 48 officials has come into India, with discussions taking place across all chapters on the table. Negotiations for two chapters have already been concluded, while for the remaining chapters, negotiations are underway during this five-day negotiation round. Agarwal emphasized that both sides want to have good progress in this round because we are looking at a very tight timeline, with both sides working to see that they can close this agreement before the end of this year. The fourth round of negotiations are ongoing, with both sides working towards a year-end deadline.
The India-New Zealand FTA is also expected to become operational in the second half of October, according to The Hindu reports. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal confirmed that the India-New Zealand FTA is also expected to become operational in the second half of October, with an exact date not finalised. However, The Hindu has learnt that the most likely date for operationalisation is October 19. This development adds to India's expanding trade agreement portfolio as the country moves forward on multiple bilateral trade negotiations.
