(Reuters) – India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to visit Washington soon for trade talks, India’s ET Now news channel reported on Friday citing news agency PTI, a trip that would take place amid efforts to ease strained bilateral ties.
ET Now did not say when Goyal would leave for the U.S.
India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside business hours.
India and the U.S. held what the Indian side called “positive” and “forward-looking” trade discussions on Tuesday, raising hopes for a breakthrough after President Donald Trump sharply hiked tariffs on imports from the South Asian nation last month.
Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke by phone on Tuesday.
Trump doubled tariffs on Indian imports to as much as 50% on August 27 over its purchases of Russian oil, part of Washington’s efforts to step up pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
(Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Frances Kerry)