Piyush Goyal Says US Should ‘Sign on the Dotted Line’ If Happy with Trade Talks
Minister stresses progress in negotiations, cautions against artificial deadlines, calls for mutually beneficial agreement
India, Dec 12 : Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that trade negotiations between India and the United States are progressing positively, with several rounds of substantive discussions already completed. His comments came during the visit of a new deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) to India.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Goyal emphasised that any agreement must benefit both countries and cautioned against rushing negotiations under artificial deadlines. “Negotiations are progressing well. We’ve had substantive discussions over several rounds. A deal is only done when both sides stand to benefit. We should never negotiate with deadlines because you tend to make mistakes then,” he said.
Responding to remarks by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who called India’s offer the “best ever” trade deal, Goyal welcomed the sentiment but urged action. “The happiness of the United States Trade Representative is very much welcome. I do believe that if they are very happy, they should be signing on the dotted line,” he added.
Goyal reiterated optimism about ongoing talks, noting that the US delegation has been in India since Tuesday, enabling focused exchanges that clarified concerns and identified areas of convergence. While he did not specify a timeline for concluding the agreement, the minister emphasised that steady, constructive discussions and mutual benefit remain the guiding principles.
