Washington/New Delhi: The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has welcomed the recent announcement on easing trade barriers between India and the United States, saying the move reflects growing economic alignment and promises tangible benefits for enterprises, workers and consumers in both countries.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the forum said it strongly supported the understanding reached after US President Donald Trump’s telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The exchange, it noted, underlined a shared intent to strengthen commercial ties and push forward negotiations on a broader bilateral trade framework.
The USISPF described the decision to lower America’s reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent as a constructive early step. While the finer details of the arrangement are yet to be finalised, the forum said the announcement demonstrated clear political commitment on both sides to work towards a comprehensive US–India Bilateral Trade Agreement.
According to the organisation, such an agreement is expected to deal with long-standing trade concerns, including tariff structures, access to markets, non-tariff obstacles and sector-specific regulatory issues. Addressing these areas, it added, would help improve supply-chain reliability and boost economic resilience in both economies.
The forum also pointed out that officials in New Delhi and Washington have indicated that the latest announcement marks the start of a phased process, with further negotiations and policy discussions likely in the coming months.
Expressing optimism over the direction of talks, the USISPF said the current momentum offers an opportunity to craft an ambitious trade pact with wide-ranging impact. It reiterated its commitment to working closely with both governments to help expand bilateral trade towards the shared target of $500 billion.
A deeper trade and investment partnership, the forum said, is not only vital for economic growth in India and the US but also plays a key role in supporting a stable, resilient and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
The comments follow the joint announcement by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi on February 2, under which US tariffs on Indian imports were reduced to 18 per cent. In addition, the US has withdrawn a separate 25 per cent penalty levy that had been imposed earlier in connection with India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
