The next round of negotiations for the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) is expected to be delayed, with a visiting American delegation likely to defer its scheduled trip to New Delhi later this month, an official told news agency PTI.
Talks for the pact have already gone through five rounds, and the sixth round was planned from August 25 to 29. “This visit is likely to be rescheduled,” the official told the news agency, requesting anonymity.
The deferment or rescheduling came at a time when Washington has imposed fresh trade penalties on India. A 25 per cent duty on Indian goods has been in place since August 7, and an additional 25 per cent levy, announced as a penalty for India’s crude oil and military equipment purchases from Russia, is set to take effect from August 27.
