India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met US Under Secretary of State Jacob S Helberg in Washington to discuss a mutually advantageous trade arrangement and enhanced cooperation in emerging technologies.
Kwatra congratulated Helberg on taking charge as Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment.
Sharing details of the interaction, he wrote on social media on Wednesday: “Had a wide ranging conversation on our bilateral economic engagement agenda, including a mutually beneficial trade deal, strategic trade dialogue, and technology cooperation including AI.”
Helberg, who now serves as the 22nd Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, earlier worked as an Advisor to the Council of Economic Advisors at the White House. His meeting with Kwatra adds to a series of engagements the Indian envoy has recently held with senior US officials and lawmakers.
The bilateral relationship, however, has faced turbulence after the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, along with an additional 25 per cent levy in response to India’s procurement of Russian crude oil.
New Delhi has termed the move "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", emphasising that its energy choices are shaped by affordability and national interest.
Despite the strains, an Indian official recently indicated that the first phase of the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) is “nearing closure”, with expectations that it will tackle the steep tariffs on Indian exports while also addressing US market access concerns.
Commerce Ministry data shows India’s merchandise exports to the US fell 11.93 per cent to USD 5.46 billion in September due to the tariff impact. At the same time, imports from the US grew 11.78 per cent to USD 3.98 billion.
Yet the US remains India’s largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024–25, with bilateral trade reaching USD 131.84 billion — including USD 86.5 billion in exports. The country accounts for about 18 per cent of India’s total goods exports, 6.22 per cent of imports, and 10.73 per cent of total merchandise trade.
