Kathmandu— The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi stated that discussions between India and the United States regarding a proposed interim bilateral trade agreement are still underway. Both sides have made significant progress, but certain issues remain unresolved as several US states challenge recent tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration on imports from various economies.

Ongoing Dialogue

During a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that both India and the United States have engaged extensively to finalize the interim trade agreement. 'The conversation between India and the US on the proposed bilateral trade agreement is ongoing,' said Jaiswal. He added that there are still some issues that need finalization but noted that substantial work has been done towards this goal.

US State Legal Challenges

A coalition of 25 American states, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and joined by attorneys general from Arizona and Oregon, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's latest round of tariffs. These tariffs are part of Section 301 measures that impose duties on imports from several economies, including India, which falls under the lower 10 percent tariff category. The states argue that these measures exceed the administration’s legal authority and would increase costs for American consumers and businesses.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.