Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday met US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and American Senator Steve Daines to discuss issues related to ties between the two countries. 

The meeting comes at an important time as India and the US are negotiating a bilateral trade agreement. Talks are taking place even as the Donald Trump administration has imposed a steep 50% import duty on Indian goods since August last year. 

After the meeting, Goyal shared a message on social media platform X. "Delighted to again meet my good friends US Senator @SteveDaines and the US Ambassador to India @SergioGor. Had a productive exchange of views on our bilateral relationship,” he wrote.

Progress in India-US trade talks 

Sergio Gor, who recently took charge as the US Ambassador to India, is known to be close to US President Donald Trump. In his arrival speech on January 12, Gor said both sides are actively working to finalise a trade deal. 

“Both sides continue to actively engage. In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow. Remember, it is the world's largest nation; so it's not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there,” Gor said on Monday. 

Relations between the two countries have faced strain after the US imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports. This includes an additional 25% duty linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. 

Meanwhile, US Senators Steve Daines of Montana and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota have asked President Trump to seek better terms for American pulse growers in any future trade deal with India. They said that US farmers face a "significant competitive disadvantage" because of what they called "unfair" tariffs imposed by India. 

In a letter dated January 16, the lawmakers said their states are the top two producers of pulse crops such as peas. They also pointed out that India is the world’s largest consumer of pulses, accounting for about 27% of global consumption. 

(With inputs from PTI)