India says it won't rush US trade pact, talks progressing in Berlin

India will not be rushed or coerced into a trade pact with the United States, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday in Berlin, while confirming that talks between the two countries are progressing. Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal said India is engaged in active negotiations with the United States and the European Union but will only sign agreements that protect national interests and key domestic sectors.

"We are in active dialogue with the EU. We are talking to the US, but we do not do deals in a hurry and we do not do deals with deadlines or with a gun to our head," Goyal said, underlining that agreements should be long term instruments built on mutual trust. He added that any pact must safeguard the interests of farmers, fishermen and micro, small and medium enterprises.

Indian and U.S. negotiators have completed several rounds of talks, with officials aiming to finalize a first phase of a proposed bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2025. A high-level Indian delegation led by the commerce secretary recently visited Washington for the fifth round of discussions, Goyal said. He described the negotiations as progressing in a cordial...