New Delhi, July 14 -- India is racing against time to strike an interim trade deal with Washington as US President Donald Trump's 90-day extension on reciprocal tariffs has already ended. While India and the US are reportedly looking to close the deal by the end of this month, the US's continued insistence on deeper market access for its agricultural exports remains a red line for India.

Agricultural products, which include alcohol, dairy, animal products, and processed food items, have enjoyed high net exports historically and are among a handful of major commodity groups where India exports more than it imports.

New Delhi, naturally, is of the view that some of these sectors need protection from a potential influx of imports, as that ...