US Ambassador Gor Says India Trade Deal's 'Big Framework' Is Done, Two Weeks After Greer Said Nothing Was Imminent

Since India and the United States announced a first-phase trade framework in February, the pact has been reopened after changes to the U.S. tariff landscape. On Thursday, Oct. 15, U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the two sides are now very close to finishing it.

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Gor put it this way: "The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done."

He said only limited negotiations on remaining details continue. He described the talks as one of the fastest-moving trade negotiations between two large economies.

Where the talks stand

According to Gor, the discussions have moved to product-specific and tariff-level questions. Senior officials are handling them, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

Gor acknowledged that a deal between two economies this large is complicated. He still said both countries are "very close" to finalizing it.

That is a more confident read than the one Greer gave two weeks ago. After meeting Goyal at the G20 trade ministers' meeting in Milwaukee, Greer said on Thursday, Oct. 1, that the talks were "in the short strokes" and near the end.

He also said: "I don't think there's something imminent, but we truly have identified the universe of items that are sticking points. We're working diligently toward them."

Greer added that President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi might speak again "very soon" to review progress. The two leaders had discussed trade, defense, energy and critical technologies the day before.

India's condition

New Delhi has set its own bar. On Sept. 24, Goyal called the trade pact "done and dusted" and said it would be executed once the U.S. gave India the right competitive advantage over its competitors in the American market. India's competitors in the U.S. market include ASEAN countries, China and Bangladesh.

Gor's remarks did not address that condition. The U.S. envoy offered no timeline and no list of the items still being negotiated.

Russia sanctions and the Rubio trip

Gor was also asked about proposed U.S. sanctions linked to Russia, a sore point in New Delhi. He said the measures are aimed at ending the conflict and are not targeted at any specific country.

Discussions on the issue are ongoing, Gor said, and the U.S. administration will decide "in the coming days." He did not say what the measures would cover or whether they would touch India's purchases of Russian oil.

Gor also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will soon visit India, with engagements planned in Mumbai and Jamnagar. He said the visit is expected to focus heavily on trade, investment and commercial partnerships.

The wider relationship

Gor called India a trusted strategic partner. He credited Modi's government with advancing emerging technology initiatives and noted that India was among the first countries invited into key international technology partnerships.

He said cooperation on artificial intelligence, technology development, clean energy and civil nuclear power would open new opportunities for both countries.

He pointed to growing investment in India by U.S. firms including Google, Microsoft, Adobe and Micron, and called the partnership a win-win that supports jobs in both nations.

On defense, Gor said India conducts more military exercises with the United States than with any other country. He cited recent joint drills, including F-35 participation in exercises in India, as evidence of deepening strategic trust.

What to watch

Gor's "big items are done" line comes from the U.S. ambassador, not from Greer or Goyal, the two officials negotiating the tariff-level details. Neither government has announced a signing date.

Rubio's India visit is expected soon, and the administration's decision on the Russia-linked sanctions is due in the coming days. Whether Washington gives India the competitive advantage Goyal has said is required before the pact is executed remains unanswered.