Minister Goyal says India-US trade deal can move ahead once tariff edge is secured

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that the first tranche of the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) is ready to be operationalized once the US ensures India enjoys a competitive tariff advantage over countries in its neighbourhood, the ASEAN region and other competing economies. Addressing reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi, Goyal said the understanding reached after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump announced plans for the pact in February can move forward once the tariff framework restores India’s competitiveness against rival exporters. “I have very categorically, on several…