Photo: Reuters

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Indian Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will conclude their meeting today in New Delhi.

The meeting looks to revive the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) which is an annual bilateral meeting to improve US-India trade and investment partnerships. The forum was abandoned by former President Donald Trump in 2017.

Representative Tai’s meeting is also a part of a broader Asia tour including South Korea and Japan. These countries will be a part of the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial conference (MC-12) which is scheduled to be held in Geneva from November 30 through December 3.

Expect the officials to collaborate on a coordinated strategy for a successful partnership at MC-12 and TPF. A similar meeting on November 2 resulted in officials offering to take a “comprehensive look” at the bilateral trade relationship.

With the US being the largest export market for India, both sides will likely negotiate a reduction of tariffs on essential commodities and push towards improvement in the quality of products. However, the two countries are unlikely to completely resolve their trade concerns because India has not yet received any assurance on the restoration of additional trade privileges that would grant it better access in the US market.