FM Sitharaman: Waiting For Result Of Piyush Goyal's Trade Talks In U.S.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in the US currently to discuss trade relations and the Indian government is awaiting what comes out of Goyal's discussions there, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday in response to a question on how the government intends to protect the interests of Indian exporters as the US plans to rollout reciprocal tariffs. “At the moment, based on the information that we have and also the commerce ministry having some consultations with some stakeholders, the minister has gone to the US to initiate some discussions,” Sitharaman said at a post-Budget interaction with tax professionals and other stakeholders in Andhra Pardesh. “The interest of all our exporters is documented with the commerce ministry and so we'll have to see how the ministry is taking up the negotiations there. All of us are constantly giving information and sharing inputs to protect the interest of Indian exporters. Let’s see what comes out of the negotiations.” The US is set to impose reciprocal tariffs on India and several other nations from April 2 based on the duty levied by them on American goods. Goyal, who will return from the US on Friday, is scheduled to meet the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to discuss provisions of the proposed trade deal and also ask the US government to delay the imposition of tariffs on India.