A scheduled visit by a US trade delegation to New Delhi from 25-29 August has been called off and is expected to be rescheduled, according to people familiar with the matter, reported NDTV Profit on Saturday.
As a result, the current round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement is likely to be deferred to another date.
Sources said both sides remain engaged, though a new date for the talks has not yet been determined.
The postponement has put a damper on the expectations regarding this round of negotiations, as it was planned around 27 August, when the imposition of the additional 25% secondary sanctions on India is to take effect.
This also raises uncertainty over the fall deadline (September–October) that the two countries agreed upon for finalising the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement.
On Thursday, senior government officials had said that India was "fully engaged" with the US on negotiations for a proposed bilateral trade agreement, with discussions underway across multiple channels, from formal negotiating teams to ministerial, diplomatic, and industry-level interactions.
Officials had described the US as a "very important trade partner" and said the status of the next round of talks, scheduled for 25 August in New Delhi, will only be clear closer to the date, while reaffirming the fall timeline.
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