US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Tuesday welcomed Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch to India, signaling continued progress toward finalizing a bilateral trade deal. In a post on X, Gor stated that the efforts are guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, aimed at deepening trade and investment ties between the two countries.
"Always great to see Assistant @USTradeRep Brendan Lynch! Brendan and his team are in town to continue finalizing the interim trade deal. Our efforts are guided by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi's vision of enhancing trade and investment between our countries. Progress is being made!" Gor wrote.
Lynch's visit coincides with the United States' announcement on Tuesday of proposed additional tariffs of 10% and an additional duty of 12.5% on key global economies, citing investigations that goods imported from 60 countries are produced via forced labor. The USTR listed 54 economies, including India, claiming they have failed to enforce a prohibition on importing goods produced with forced labor. The list includes Australia, China, India, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and the United Kingdom.
According to the USTR, economies with existing forced labor import prohibitions or commitments to implement such measures through trade agreements could face an additional tariff of 10%. Other economies may face a 12.5% additional duty.
These proposed tariffs come as Indian negotiators focus on securing preferential market access against competitors during talks with the visiting US team to finalize the bilateral trade agreement (BTA), sources said on Monday.
In response to the USTR notice, the Indian government stated that it remains engaged with the US. "As per the report, the proposed tariffs are not yet final and stakeholders can submit requests to participate in public hearings by 22 June 2026. Written comments can be submitted until 6 July 2026. Public hearings will be held on 7 July 2026. The USTR will consider the comments and testimony received before taking a final decision on the proposed measures. India remains engaged with the U.S. on the matter as a part of Section 301 proceedings. India is also parallelly engaged with the US for finalisation of a framework agreement as was announced on 2nd February 2026 and in accordance with the joint statement released on 7th February 2026," the statement said.
The talks, scheduled from June 1 to 4, are led by US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch and India's Additional Secretary Darpan Jain. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the round will finalize details of the interim pact and advance negotiations under the broader BTA on market access, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion, and economic security alignment.
