India-US trade pact in final steps, US envoy Sergio Gor says

WASHINGTON: The long-awaited US-India trade agreement is in its final phase, with just the last one per cent of negotiations remaining, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Tuesday, expressing confidence that the pact would soon be concluded after nearly 18 months of discussions.

Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington, Gor said both countries had made significant progress and were now working to resolve a handful of outstanding issues before finalising the agreement.

“We are in the final steps on this deal. Most of this deal is complete. There are few items that remain on both sides. It’s in the last 1 per cent of that deal,” Gor said.

The trade talks, which have been underway for nearly a year and a half, are expected to enhance bilateral trade, improve market access, and deepen commercial ties between the world’s two largest democracies.