India and the United States are close to completing their bilateral trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, indicating that the remaining issue is securing the right competitive advantage for Indian exporters in the US market.

Speaking at an event organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India in New Delhi, Goyal said the India-US trade pact was “almost done and dusted”. He said the agreement could be executed once Washington provides India with terms that give its exporters a comparable advantage over competing suppliers.

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“We just have to find the right comparable competitive advantage over our competitor so that we can quickly execute the agreement,” Goyal said.

Competitive terms remain central to execution

India and the US had announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of their Bilateral Trade Agreement in February 2026. Subsequent changes in the US tariff landscape led to further discussions between the two sides.

Goyal has previously said India wants a framework that provides preferential treatment for Indian exports compared with competing economies. The agreement covers areas including market access, tariff and non-tariff barriers, digital trade and supply-chain resilience.

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Goyal to meet US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer

Goyal is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during his upcoming visit to the United States for the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from September 30 to October 1.

The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity to review progress in the ongoing negotiations. Greer had previously led the US delegation for bilateral trade agreement discussions in New Delhi in June, when both sides reviewed key elements of the proposed pact.

India-US trade negotiations

The two countries have been working on a broader bilateral trade agreement covering market access and other trade-related issues. India has maintained that the final terms should provide commercially meaningful opportunities for its exporters.

Goyal's latest remarks indicate that the negotiations have moved close to the execution stage, while the specific framework for India's competitive position in the US market remains an important condition before the agreement is implemented.