New Delhi, Feb. 20 -- India and the United States agreed to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial multi-sector bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by late September after president Donald Trump threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs on goods from India and several other countries.

As he did in his first term, Trump continues to pressure India to lower its high and protectionist import duties on several goods, including luxury goods. India has made some concessions recently by reducing the duties on Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon whiskeys.

Trump wants more, he wants trade between India and the US to be more balanced. In calendar 2024, India exported goods worth $87.4 billion to the US and imported goods worth $41.8 b...