Declining to offer a deadline for the finalising of the agreement, he said: “We remain engaged with the US very positively and with a very positive intent to see if we can close it earlier than later.”
A delegation led by Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer was on a familiarisation visit to India.
“At the meetings we also took stock of our trade, our trade relationship, but also the stage at which we are in terms of the negotiations both for the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and framework agreement,” Agrawal was quoted as saying by an Indian media outlet.
Switzer also met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and foreign secretary Vikram Misri.
India's exports to the United States rose in November by over 22 per cent year on year (YoY) despite President Donald Trump's tariffs, offering fresh leverage in ongoing trade talks with the United States and easing pressure on New Delhi to strike a quick deal.
The figure outpaced India's overall export growth of more than 19 per cent, which lifted total goods exports to $38.13 billion, government data showed.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
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