India-US Trade Deal Nears Completion Amid Critical Minerals Cooperation and Strategic Talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concluded a productive visit to the US, attending the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and holding talks with US officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. India and the US are finalizing a historic trade deal expected to be completed soon, which includes reducing US tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. Both sides emphasized advancing cooperation on critical minerals, strategic issues, defence, energy, and economic partnership amid efforts to secure supply chains and counter global challenges.