New Delhi, April 29 -- India and the US have made significant headway in their negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, and are working to finalise the first phase of the pact by fall (September-November), the commerce ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Officials of India's Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative met in Washington on 23-25 April to build on discussions held in New Delhi in March.

The talks covered a broad range of issues, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, the commerce ministry said. The delegations also explored the possibility of locking in early gains across key sectors, as they seek to build a roadmap for concluding the first tranche of the multi-pronged agreement, it a...