New Delhi, 26 February (H.S.): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held talks on Thursday with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, focusing on ways to bolster bilateral trade relations.Goyal described the meeting as pivotal, occurring as both nations finalize the legal draft for the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement. This discussion on expanding trade and economic partnership gains added significance amid ongoing negotiations, he stated.

The talks follow the US Supreme Court's invalidation of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff orders, prompting a temporary 10% tariff on global imports—later raised to 15% by the Trump administration. Additionally, Trump imposed countervailing duties up to 126% on solar cells and modules imported from India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar