U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said a trade deal with India is not "imminent," speaking one day after President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone call. Greer's comments dampened expectations that the two countries were on the verge of resolving more than a year of escalating trade tensions.
The call between Trump and Modi, readouts of which did not announce a breakthrough, had raised speculation in Washington and New Delhi that negotiators were nearing an agreement. Greer's remarks instead signaled that significant gaps remain between the two sides.
India now faces the prospect of U.S. tariffs as high as 100% on its exports if the two countries cannot reach terms. The threat hangs over a trading relationship worth roughly $190 billion in annual two-way goods trade, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, with India running a goods surplus with the United States of more than $45 billion.
The strain between Washington and New Delhi has built for more than a year, driven by disputes over tariffs, market access for American agricultural and dairy products, and India's purchases of discounted Russian crude oil. Trump has repeatedly criticized India's tariff barriers, calling them among the highest of any major economy.
Greer, who has led the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative since his confirmation in 2025, has been the administration's point person in the talks. His public downplaying of an imminent deal suggests negotiators are still working through core issues rather than finalizing text.
For India, a deal carries high stakes. The United States is its largest single export market, and sectors including pharmaceuticals, textiles, gems and jewelry, and information technology services depend heavily on access. Auto components and shrimp exports from southern Indian states have already been hit by earlier rounds of U.S. tariffs.
For American consumers and businesses, the outcome determines prices on imported generic medicines, apparel, and industrial inputs. Companies that have built supply chains around Indian manufacturing have been watching the talks closely, as have U.S. farmers pressing for greater access to India's protected dairy and grain markets.
Neither side has announced a date for the next round of negotiations. Greer did not say what specific issues remain unresolved or when talks might resume.
