Washington DC/New Delhi: The proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement is nearing completion, with only the final legal details yet to be resolved, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Monday, expressing confidence that the long-awaited pact is in its final stages.
Speaking at the IX US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit 2026, Gor said negotiators have completed most of the agreement, with only “1 or 2 per cent” of the legal text remaining to be finalised.
“The deal is very close. Most of it has been completed, and only a few issues remain on both sides. We are in the final stages,” the ambassador said.
Gor acknowledged that the negotiations had faced temporary delays following a recent judicial intervention but said the momentum was restored after US Trade Representative Jamieson Lee Greer held two days of discussions in New Delhi last week.
Referring to the lengthy negotiations, Gor noted that the agreement has been under discussion for nearly 18 months but pointed out that the European Union’s trade agreement took almost two decades to conclude.
Highlighting the broader strategic partnership, Gor said President Donald Trump remains committed to strengthening ties with India and continues to hold the country in high regard.
Sharing details of a recent meeting with the US President, the ambassador said Trump has fond memories of his India visit and remains supportive of expanding cooperation between the two nations.
Gor said the future of India-US relations extends well beyond trade, with both countries working closely in areas such as artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and defence cooperation.
“There is enormous potential for collaboration across AI, technology and defence. The relationship is built on a win-win approach,” he said.
The ambassador also revealed that the US Embassy in New Delhi facilitated USD 20.5 billion in fresh investments into the United States this year, significantly outperforming several other American diplomatic missions worldwide.
Defending the strength of bilateral ties, Gor rejected speculation about any strain in relations, citing growing trade, expanding defence cooperation and strong people-to-people connections between the two countries.
He added that India remains the largest export market for US goods and services among individual countries, while the United States conducts more joint military exercises with India than with any other partner.
Both governments are now focused on finalising the remaining legal provisions of the agreement, which is expected to contribute towards the shared goal of expanding bilateral trade to USD 500 billion.
