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India-US Trade Talks: Both Countries Engaged In Negotiations, Says Commerce Secretary
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‘Both sides are engaged (in trade deal talks)…and both sides feel that there can be a trade deal,’ Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal told reporters.
India-US Trade Deal Update.
India and the United States are currently engaged in discussions aimed at finalising a trade deal, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Thursday, noting that India’s exports to the US continue to post positive growth despite the imposition of high tariffs.
“Both sides are engaged (in trade deal talks)…and both sides feel that there can be a trade deal,” Agrawal told reporters.
He added that engagement between the two countries has continued at senior levels, including a virtual meeting held in December last year between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The comments underline ongoing efforts by New Delhi and Washington to deepen trade ties even as tariff-related challenges persist.
“There are engagements going on, and negotiating teams are talking virtually on issues which are still pending. But we can’t put a deadline. It’s very near. That will happen as long as both sides are ready, they feel it is the right time to announce,” he told reporters.
A team of US officials led by Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, Deputy USTR, Rick Switzer, met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on December 10, 2025 and the Commerce Secretary Agrawal on December 11, 2025, at Vanijya Bhawan, to take forward the negotiations.
Agrwal also noted that India’s exports to the US are “still holding on to a positive trend.”
“It was still doing around USD 7 billion (monthly) despite high tariffs. We are focusing more on areas where tariffs are less, or in areas where tariffs are there, and industry has been showing resilience and holding on to the supply chains,” he said.
There were apprehensions that India’s exports to the US would with additional tariffs imposed by the US administration.
Talking about India’s energy imports, Commerce Secretary said India has been buying from all traditional suppliers but largely Middle East.
“We are buying a lot of oil from US these days. Import from US is increased,” he said.
Energy trade has been a bone of contention in the trade deal talks with the US, and the Trump administration wants more shipments to come to India. India imports over 80 per cent of its energy needs.
On the issue of any possible trade disruptions with Iran, the Commerce Secretary said India has a very limited trade.
“We are looking at that. We are awaiting details and as and when details are there, we will look into it,” he said.
He also gave an update on the India-Canada trade talks. “We are engaged. There was a positive decision to start engaging on trade talks and see how we can restart our negotiations. Both sides are engaged in finalizing Terms of Reference (ToR) for mutually beneficial trade agreement,” he said.
India is actively negotiating trade agreements with several countries, in a bid to expand trade and secure long-term growth opportunities.
The coming months are expected to be critical, when the outcomes of these negotiations could redefine India’s role in the global trade architecture and shape its economic trajectory for the next decade.
India and the US were initially aiming to complete the first tranche of an India-US bilateral trade agreement by fall of 2025, but new developments in the US trade policy landscape, that include tariffs, have altered those plans.
The BTA, formally proposed in February following directives from the leadership of both nations, seeks to more than double bilateral trade, from the current USD 191 billion to USD 500 billion by 2030. Talks were first announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in February 2025.
US exports have grown year-on-year in the first nine months of the (fiscal) year, Agrawal told reporters, adding total exports could be more than $850 billion in the current fiscal year ending March.
Meanwhile, according to the latest official data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s merchandise trade deficit widened slightly in December 2025, driven by a strong rise in imports even as exports remained broadly flat.
India’s goods exports in December 2025 stood at $38.51 billion, which is 1.86% higher than the $37.8 billion recorded in the same month last year. In contrast, imports jumped to $63.55 billion, compared with $58.43 billion in December 2024.
(With Inputs from Agencies)
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January 15, 2026, 16:29 IST
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The government on Thursday kept petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices unchanged at Rs253.17 per litre and Rs257.08 per litre respectively, for the coming fortnight, starting from January 16.
This decision was notified in a press release issued by the Petroleum Division.
Earlier, it was expected that the prices of all petroleum products would go down by up to Rs4.50 per litre (over 1pc each) today in view of variation in the international market.
Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and directly impacts the budgets of the middle and lower-middle classes.
Meanwhile, most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary, as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains, and agricultural engines such as trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells, and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.
The government is currently charging about Rs100 per litre on petrol and about Rs97 per litre on diesel.
One of Britain’s most prolific rail fare dodgers could face jail after admitting dozens of travel offences.
Charles Brohiri, 29, pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket a total of 112 times over a two-year period, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He could be ordered to pay more than £18,000 in unpaid fares and legal costs, the court was told.
He will be sentenced next month.
District Judge Nina Tempia warned Brohiri “could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed”.
He pleaded guilty to 76 offences on Thursday.
It came after he was convicted in his absence of 36 charges at a previous hearing.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Tempia dismissed a bid by Brohiri’s lawyers to have the 36 convictions overturned.
They had argued the prosecutions were unlawful because they had not been brought by a qualified legal professional.
But Judge Tempia rejected the argument, saying there had been “no abuse of this court’s process”.
JSW Jetour T2 Launch: JSW Motors Limited, the passenger vehicle arm of the JSW Group, is reportedly preparing to enter the Indian car market this year. It has partnered with Jetour, a China-based automotive brand owned by Chery Automobile, and the Jetour T2 SUV could be the company’s first product, according to the reports.
Media reports suggest that the launch will happen independently and not under the JSW MG Motor India joint venture. The SUV will wear a JSW badge and name, instead of the Jetour branding. The upcoming SUV will be assembled at JSW’s upcoming greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra.
According to the reports, the company plans to have the vehicle on sale by the third quarter of this year. With this move, JSW aims to establish itself as a standalone carmaker in India.
Expected Powertrain
The SUV is likely to arrive with a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid setup. Internationally, this hybrid powertrain is offered with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. It is still unclear which version will be introduced in India.
Design
In terms of design, the T2 is a large and rugged-looking SUV. It has a boxy and upright stance, similar to vehicles like the Land Rover Defender. Despite its tough appearance, it uses a monocoque chassis instead of a ladder-frame construction.
Size
The SUV measures around 4.7 metres in length and nearly 2 metres in width. This makes it larger than the Tata Safari, even though it is a five-seater. A longer 7-seat version is also sold in some markets.
Price
Pricing details for India are yet to be announced. For reference, the front-wheel-drive five-seat T2 i-DM is priced at AED 1,44,000 (around Rs 35 lakh) in the UAE.
Jetour
Jetour is a brand owned by Chinese automaker Chery. Launched in 2018, it focuses mainly on SUVs and is present in markets across China, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
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