US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor on Sunday met Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal to discuss strengthening India-US economic ties, with both sides exploring ways to firm up a trade deal. Gor, who is on a six-day visit following his Senate confirmation as the US envoy to India, was accompanied by Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas.
On the first day of his visit on Saturday, Gor held separate meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The discussions with Agrawal focused specifically on trade and investment opportunities, with Gor noting on X that he and the Commerce Secretary discussed “US-India economic ties, including increased investment in the United States.”
Following his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Gor reiterated that the US “values” its relationship with India. The visit comes at a critical juncture, as relations between New Delhi and Washington have been under strain after the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent additional duty on India’s purchase of Russian crude, pushing some tariffs up to 50 per cent. India has described these measures as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
Despite these tensions, recent phone conversations between Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump have renewed optimism for progress in the ongoing trade negotiations. India and the US have recently resumed talks on a trade deal after a brief hiatus of a few weeks, signaling a potential thaw in economic relations. |
