Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the visit is likely to begin on February 23 and will focus on translating the contours of the recently announced framework into a binding legal agreement. “There have been virtual engagements going on (with the US) and next week, the chief negotiator will be leading a delegation to the US to finalise the legal framework towards the legal agreement. That work will carry on next week in Washington,” he said.
He added that the joint statement issued earlier lays down the broad contours of the interim deal, which now need to be converted into a legally binding pact to be signed by both sides.
Who is Darpan Jain?
Darpan Jain is a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Karnataka cadre and currently serves as Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi. Born on August 30, 1977, Jain holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Delhi University, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and an MTech from IIT Delhi.
Fluent in English and Hindi, he has handled key international trade assignments within the commerce ministry and was also involved in negotiations related to India’s Free Trade Agreement talks with the European Union.
What is the India–US interim trade deal?
Earlier this month, India and the United States announced that they had finalised a framework for an interim trade agreement aimed at making trade more reciprocal and mutually beneficial.
Under the framework, US tariffs on Indian goods will be reduced from 50% to 18%, with the reduction expected to cover sectors such as textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home décor, artisanal goods and select machinery, TOI reported. After the successful conclusion of the interim pact, tariffs on products such as generic pharmaceuticals, gems and diamonds, and aircraft parts are also set to be removed.The US has also agreed to remove certain national security-related duties, including Section 232 tariffs on specified aircraft and auto parts.
On its part, India has agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on several US industrial goods and a range of agricultural and food products, including dried distillers’ grains, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits. However, the government has maintained that sensitive agricultural and dairy sectors such as wheat, rice, maize, milk, poultry and certain vegetables will remain protected.
The framework also reaffirms the commitment of both countries to advance negotiations on a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in February 2025 following months of trade tensions.