Washington, DC – The United States expressed optimism over the ongoing trade related negotiations with India as IAT raised the question about the recent visit of two USTR officials to New Delhi.
Asked to comment on the US satisfaction over the USTR officials visit, Morgan Ortagus, the State Department Spokesperson told a daily press briefing on Tuesday (July 16) that she was confident about a positive outcome of the ongoing trade talks.
Reminding the journalists that she was in Delhi recently “with the Secretary, where he met with his counterpart, and they were, of course, incredibly effective meetings,” she added, “We talked there quite a bit, both in our meetings and to the media.”
Noting that, “United States is India’s most important trading partner. I believe we’re their top market for exports,” Ortagus said, “The Secretary (of State) has said this as well when we were in India – that we see a lot of opportunity for growth in our relationship. We see enormous potential.”
Spokesperson Ortagus quoted Secretary Michael R. Pompeo as saying, “the Secretary is confident – he has reiterated this – that any sort of trade negotiations that we have, any issues can be worked through because of the friendship between our two countries.”
The US negotiating team led by Assistant USTR for South & Central Asia, Christopher Wilson, was in New Delhi for “relationship-building” with their Indian counterparts just two days after US President Donald Trump tweeted that India’s high tariffs are no longer acceptable to the country.
Tejinder Singh, Editor, India America Today & White House Correspondent