Amid rising tensions between India and the United States—and just a day after New Delhi’s diplomatic engagement with Moscow—the US has called off its planned visit to India for the sixth round of Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, a senior Commerce Ministry official confirmed on Saturday.
The US delegation’s trip, originally scheduled for August 25–29, has been postponed, effectively delaying discussions on the proposed trade pact between the two nations.
“The visit is likely to be rescheduled,” said the official, adding that no new dates have yet been confirmed for the talks.
The cancellation comes against a complicated backdrop of mounting tariff pressures and growing geopolitical friction. Washington is considering a 50% reciprocal tariff on Indian exports, linked to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, adding urgency to the negotiations.
Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal had earlier indicated that clarity on the sixth round of talks would likely emerge only closer to the scheduled date of August 25. However, as of August 16, no official communication had been received from the US side regarding a cancellation or rescheduling.
The delegation, led by Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, was expected in New Delhi for the talks. For India, the sudden pause is a setback to its efforts to build momentum on the BTA, which negotiators had hoped would secure tariff concessions.
With the delay, the prospect of any meaningful tariff relief now appears remote. Nonetheless, despite tariff headwinds, Indian exports to the US have continued to show positive growth since April.