India and the United States held the India-U.S. Bilateral Trade meeting in New Delhi . Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Government of India and Mr. Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce, United States of America co-chaired the bilateral meeting.

Both the co-chairs, Suresh Prabhu and Mr. Wilbur Rossappreciated the strong, robust and growing bilateral ties between India and the U.S. across the entire spectrum of trade and commerce. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the progress during the year 2018, with bilateral trade in Goods and Services registering a growth of 12.6% from $ 126 billion in 2017 to $142 billion in 2018.

India appreciated the US Trade Winds Indo-Pacific Business Forum and Mission initiative 2019, being held at New Delhi. The forum will bring together distributors, representatives and partners and enable them to increase sales by taking part in business-to-business meetings from 8-10^thMay, 2019, across India.

Both co-chairs also complimented the new bilateral private sector led Small Business Inter action initiative, the US - India SME Forum, held today in the forenoon in New Delhi. This is the first event of its kind and would pave the way for collaboration and partnership between the U.S. and Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the areas of manufacturing and services.

Both sides also discussed various outstanding trade issues. Both sides agreed to engage regularly at various levels to resolve outstanding trade issues by exploring suitable solutions, which are mutually beneficial and promote economic development and prosperity in both countries.

Both sides agreed to deepen economic cooperation and bilateral trade by ensuring greater cooperation amongst stakeholders, including Government, businesses and entrepreneurs.

Trade cooperation: India and US agree regular engagement to resolve outstanding trade issues and deepen economic ties. India and the United States reaffirmed bilateral trade cooperation in a co chaired meeting, noting recent trade growth and endorsing the US Trade Winds Indo Pacific Business Forum and a new US India SME Forum to foster B2B linkages. Both parties agreed to engage regularly at multiple levels to explore mutually beneficial solutions for outstanding trade issues and to deepen economic cooperation through enhanced collaboration among government, businesses and entrepreneurs.