US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in Delhi where he met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The United States and India have expressed hope to ink a trade deal very soon, days after it was announced that both sides were in talks to chalk out an agreement.
"We are progressing very smoothly," Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said in Delhi. "We sit down in a comfortable and very open-minded way..so it more a question of scheduling time.. but I don't see any big issue holding it back for any reason."
Speaking on the possible trade deal with India, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said, "Neither government said there will be trade deal in 5 minutes..we each know each other's issues. Now that the election has come and gone, Prime Minister Modi has a very clear strong position in the parliament it should be a lot easier to take decisive action."
Ross added that Washington is only concerned on trade deficit arising from the protectionist barrier. US President Donald Trump has been vocal about trade issues globally including with India, calling New Delhi as "Tariff King" due to high tariff imposed by the country on America goods.
Ross is in Delhi to meet Goyal which the former described will be "frank and mature discussions." He also held talks with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.
Asked if New Delhi is being dealt unfairly by Washington, Ross said, "President Trump has gone out of his way to have a good relationship with PM Modi. Whole 'Howdy, Modi!' event is unprecedented in the entire history of the US. Never has the US sitting President had such a big public event with a foreign leader with any country."
Adding, "If there is any doubt, it was a very conscious and overt act to send a clear message to both the Indian American community and to the Indian community. This is a qualitatively different relationship wich previously existed between India and the US and all of our discussions are conducted within that frame of reference."
PM Modi and President Trump met 2 times last week, first in Houston during the big diaspora event --Howdy Modi and then in New York for a bilateral meet with focus on trade and counter-terror.
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