Goyal-Greer meeting likely on G20 sidelines in Milwaukee

A meeting between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and USTR Jamieson Greer could be in the offing on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, US, later this month where all bilateral issues, including the ongoing bilateral trade agreement, may be discussed.

“We expect during the visit, definitely there will be bilateral meetings between the Ministers...a bilateral is in the offing...Once it is worked out, we will let you know,” Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Tuesday.

The two-day ministerial being hosted by the USTR will begin on September 30. This year, the US holds the presidency of the G20, an international forum that brings together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies to discuss international economic cooperation and governance.

“And whenever the bilateral takes place, I think all issues, trade issues between India and the US, will be discussed. And even the ongoing FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations and the way forward on that will definitely be on the agenda for discussion,” Agrawal said.

Goyal’s visit to the US assumes significance as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, but the talks have lost momentum. The two sides had in February announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of the pact.

However, subsequent changes in the US tariff regime, following the US Supreme Court invalidating US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, have necessitated further discussions on the agreement. Goyal recently said the first tranche of the BTA would come into effect once the US ensures that Indian exporters have a comparative advantage over their competitors in the American market.

Countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are among India’s key competitors in the US market. A tariff differential in India’s favour against these competing economies would improve the price competitiveness of Indian goods in the US.

The US is India’s top export destination with the country exporting goods worth around $87 billion to the US in 2025-26.