The India-US trade negotiations are at an advanced stage and a consensus on an interim deal is within reach, a key official told NDTV on Tuesday, adding that Washington’s demands on agricultural products are proving to be a hurdle. Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Executive Council Member Sunil Jain spoke to the channel on Tuesday, a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was reported as having said that agriculture and dairy are “big red lines” for India in the trade talks.
The deal has progressed a lot and the chief negotiators of India are extending their stay in the US and trying to complete the deal. I think the two areas where the deal is getting stuck are related to agricultural products. Agriculture is the lifeline of the Indian GDP and Indian people. It is very difficult for us to import agricultural products. There are many difficulties and sensitivities involved,” Jain said in Hindi.