Piyush Goyal met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Sergio Gor to discuss an interim trade agreement. Both countries expressed commitment to furthering trade cooperation despite the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling.
Discussions on the India-US Interim Trade Agreement intensify (Image Source: @PiyushGoyal/Twitter)
New Delhi: India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a key meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on February 26, 2026. Both sides described the meeting as "fruitful" and "productive." Goyal shared the information on the social media platform X, stating that detailed discussions were held on further strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
This meeting comes at a time when the Indian delegation's visit to Washington to finalize the proposed Interim Trade Agreement between India and the US was recently postponed. The visit was scheduled for February 23rd to 25th. The two countries had previously issued a joint statement stating that they had agreed on a "framework" and expected the agreement to be signed by mid-March and implemented by early April.
Amidst this development, the US Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under certain laws. These tariffs were affecting several trading partner countries, including India. The court's decision created some uncertainty, impacting the timeline of trade negotiations.
Hosted US Secretary of Commerce @HowardLutnick & @USAmbIndia Sergio Gor.
Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership. 🇮🇳🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/UjfExNj6wi
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 26, 2026
The Indian government, responding to the decision, stated that it was studying the decision and assessing its potential impact. However, the government did not indicate that it was reconsidering the interim trade agreement.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, Howard Lutnick stated in an interview with an American channel that the US remains committed to its trade agenda. He explained that for the past year, the US had been making it clear to its partner countries that the tariff policy would continue, regardless of the court's decision. According to him, discussions with various countries have been positive, and no party has expressed any intention to withdraw from the agreement.
