Not far apart on India trade deal, US envoy designate Gor tells Senate panel
This story was originally published at 08:23 IST on 12 September 2025
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NEW DELHI – In a pleasant turn of events, US ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor Thursday said the US and India are "not that far apart right now" on a trade deal and called the partnership "one of the most important relationships our nation has in the world."
"We're not that far apart on a deal already on these tariffs... Getting India to stop buying Russian oil is a top priority for this administration. I think the time will arrive upon us in the next few weeks, the next few months, for all of this to get resolved," Gor said at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "We expect more from India than we do sometimes from other nations. I do think it will get resolved over the next few weeks."
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump early Wednesday said his administration was continuing negotiations with India to address trade barriers. Sergio further added that Trump has invited Indian ministers to Washington for talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer next week. "Part of that will include, hopefully, a deal. They're negotiating the nitty-gritty," he said.
US has slapped an additional 25% punitive tariff on Indian goods, on top of a 25% reciprocal tariff, citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian crude oil. The US accounts for nearly 20% of India's total exports. In 2024-25 (Apr-Mar), India exported goods worth $86.51 billion to the US and had a trade surplus of $40.82 billion. Trade negotiations between both the countries hit a roadblock after India resisted opening its vast agricultural and dairy sectors.
Gor's comments underscored the recent shift in US' tone about a trade deal between the two countries. He also highlighted that Trump shares a deep friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump said Wednesday he was looking forward to speaking with his "very good friend" Modi in the coming weeks. "I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!," Trump had said in a post on Truth Social. End
US$1 = INR 88.44
Reported by Pratiksha
Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury
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