Goyal confirmed the meeting on X, stating, “Hosted US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick & US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership.” Ambassador Gor also described the session as “highly productive,” adding, “A highly productive lunch … so many areas of cooperation for our two nations!”
Earlier this week, Goyal had noted that trade talks between the two countries would resume once there was greater clarity, following the US Supreme Court’s invalidation of former President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs.
In February, India and the US had agreed on an initial framework aimed at reducing US tariffs on Indian exports from 50% to 18%. In return, India indicated plans to purchase $500 billion worth of American goods over five years. The agreement was intended as the first phase of a broader bilateral trade deal.
However, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling has opened new negotiation space for India. In response, India has postponed a planned delegation trip to Washington, originally intended to finalize the interim deal, though officials emphasized that the agreement itself is not being reconsidered.
Analysts suggest that India may now push for safeguards against future judicial or unilateral tariff actions, while continuing to maintain trade ties and address domestic energy and economic priorities. Meanwhile, Trump has indicated that the US will continue collecting tariffs from India, presenting the deal as “fair” under a revised approach.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described it as premature to comment on the ruling’s full impact. Indian officials are cautiously evaluating next steps to protect commercial interests without disrupting bilateral relations.
