India and the United States have put off a planned meeting of their top trade negotiators. The three‑day session in Washington, set to start on February 23, will be rescheduled so both sides can study recent changes in US tariff policy.
India’s team, led by a senior commerce ministry official, was to turn an agreed framework into a formal interim trade deal. Under that framework, the US had agreed to roll back some extra duties on Indian goods. But the exact legal text still needed to be written and signed.
The pause came after new tariff moves in Washington following a court ruling about the US administration’s authority to set import levies. The US announced adjustments to its tariff schedule, including temporary increases that could affect duties on Indian exports. These changes created uncertainty about how much tax Indian products would face and for how long.
Because of this, both governments decided it was better to delay the meeting and reassess the situation. Officials said they will pick new dates once they understand how the US tariff changes interact with the proposed interim deal. Earlier timelines that aimed for a March signing and April implementation are now likely to be pushed back.
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