US praises India’s best-ever market-access proposals in trade talks

US and India intensify trade talks as Washington says New Delhi has offered unprecedented market-access proposals, especially for key American farm export

PGurus Newsdesk

December 10, 2025

US: India gives “best offer ever”

The United States is intensifying trade negotiations with India, with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer telling lawmakers that New Delhi has made some of the “best” market-access proposals Washington has ever received, particularly for American agricultural products such as grain sorghum and soy.

Speaking before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, Greer said a USTR delegation was currently in New Delhi working through sensitive agricultural barriers. While acknowledging that India still shows “resistance… to certain row crops,” he emphasised that its latest offers represent an unusually “forward-leaning” approach.

Greer noted that India is emerging as a “viable alternative market” for US commodities at a time when American farmers are grappling with rising inventories and fluctuating demand from China. “We have to find a way to manage that trade,” he said, describing India as a promising but traditionally difficult market to penetrate.

Committee Chair Jerry Moran, who voiced concerns about shrinking export options for Kansas farmers, pressed Greer on the need to diversify markets beyond China. Calling India “such a difficult country to crack,” Moran pointed to stockpiles piling up across the Midwest. Greer responded that diplomatic and commercial engagement with India was further advanced than under previous administrations.

He added that India’s outreach comes as part of a broader US effort to reset global trade ties by strengthening reciprocity and reducing trade deficits. “We’re opening market access all over the world in places like Southeast Asia and even in Europe,” Greer said, arguing that these openings enhance Washington’s leverage with major partners such as India and help secure “structural constant access” for US farmers.

Beyond agriculture, Greer indicated that tariff and market-access negotiations with India were also progressing in areas such as civil aviation. Responding to questions on zero-tariff commitments for aircraft parts under the 1979 Aircraft Agreement, he said talks with India were “fairly far advanced,” adding that the United States was ready to extend such benefits if India “comes to the table” with reciprocal concessions.

Moran also identified India as a potential major buyer of US corn- and soy-based ethanol. While Greer did not address India specifically, he said several countries had committed to opening their markets to US ethanol and pointed to European pledges worth “$750 billion in US energy products,” including biofuels.

Several senators expressed concern about the pressure facing American farmers amid volatile tariffs and unpredictable Chinese purchases. Greer defended the administration’s strategy, asserting that its push for reciprocal agreements was broadening opportunities for exporters. The United States, he said, was “breaking the mold of conventional wisdom in Washington” by securing partner commitments on tariffs, regulatory barriers, and FDA acceptance for medicines.

Throughout the hearing, Greer repeatedly stressed that firm negotiation and enforcement measures remain essential for securing compliance and unlocking markets. “They respond to enforcement,” he said. “That’s how we’re able to generate compliance and market opening.”

India–US trade relations have expanded significantly over the past decade, with ongoing negotiations in agriculture, digital services, aviation, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals. India remains one of the fastest-growing destinations for US exports, though officials say agricultural trade continues to face longstanding tariff and sanitary challenges.

Talks have accelerated through the US–India Strategic Trade Dialogue and Indo-Pacific economic initiatives, as both countries seek supply-chain diversification and deeper commercial integration amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.