Washington, Nov 27 (PTI) India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met US Under Secretary of State Jacob S Helberg here and discussed a mutually beneficial trade deal and technology cooperation.

The Indian envoy congratulated Helberg on assuming responsibilities as Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment.  “Had a wide ranging conversation on our bilateral economic engagement agenda, including a mutually beneficial trade deal, strategic trade dialogue, and technology cooperation including AI,” Kwatra posted on social media on Wednesday.

Jacob Helberg currently serves as the 22nd Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs. He was previously an Advisor to the Council of Economic Advisors at the White House.

Helberg is one of the senior US officials Kwatra has met in a series of meetings he has held with US lawmakers in last few months.

Ties between New Delhi and Washington have come under severe strain after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including an additional 25 per cent levies for its procurement of Russian crude oil.

India has called the US action "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", maintaining that its energy decisions are driven by affordability and national interest.

An Indian official had said recently that the first phase of the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) is 'nearing closure' and would address the hefty tariffs imposed on Indian goods, in addition to resolving America's market access issues.

According to Commerce Ministry data, India's merchandise exports to the US declined by 11.93 per cent to USD 5.46 billion in September due to the high tariffs imposed by Washington, while imports increased by 11.78 per cent to USD 3.98 billion during the month.

The US remained India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at USD 131.84 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports). It accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in the country's total merchandise trade. PTI RD  RD RD RD

India-US trade talks aim to address punitive tariffs and restore market access while expanding technology cooperation including AI. Negotiations on a proposed bilateral trade agreement focus on addressing recently imposed high US tariffs (including a 50% tariff and an additional 25% levy on certain crude oil imports) to restore market access for Indian exporters. The first phase of the agreement is reported as nearing closure and seeks tariff relief and resolution of US market access issues. Concurrently, the agenda includes a structured strategic trade dialogue and expanded technology cooperation, explicitly covering artificial intelligence, alongside consideration of trade data showing export declines linked to the tariffs.