India and the United States issued a joint statement on the seventh of February 2026 setting out a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade, and reaffirming their commitment to the broader India-United States Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations. The framework was described as a roadmap to address immediate trade barriers while preserving progress on the wider pact. The interim arrangement aims to create more predictable conditions for traders while preserving momentum on the comprehensive negotiations.

A delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India from the first to the fourth of June 2026 to advance those discussions. Indian negotiators and the USTR team engaged in a series of meetings in New Delhi to review technical and policy positions and to identify areas of convergence. Discussions included exchange of technical papers and bilateral consultations aimed at narrowing differences on specific provisions.

The delegations held constructive and positive discussions across a wide range of issues covering trade in goods, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, economic security alignment and other areas of mutual interest. The talks were conducted in a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism with an emphasis on translating the framework into implementable measures and timelines. Participants explored practical steps to harmonise standards, enhance transparency in regulatory measures and streamline documentation processes.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to concluding a mutually beneficial agreement that strengthens bilateral trade and economic ties and to sustaining an intensive dialogue to resolve outstanding matters. Officials indicated that the recent engagements would inform subsequent negotiating rounds under the Bilateral Trade Agreement process and that technical working groups would continue to refine modalities and implementation plans. Both sides agreed on the need for regular information exchange and for coordinating timelines to bring the interim measures into effect.