US remains hopeful of resolving trade ties with India

Washington: The United States has said there is enormous potential for growth in its relations with India and ongoing contentious trade issues can be resolved due to friendly relations between the two countries.

"The United States is India's most important trading partner," US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

"Any sort of trade negotiations that we have, any issues can be worked through because of the friendship between our two countries," she said on Tuesday (local time) when asked whether the Trump administration was satisfied with the recent visit of two Office of US Trade Representative (USTR) officials to New Delhi for the US-India trade talks.

India imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 US products, including almonds and apples, from June 5 after US President Donald Trump revoked its preferential trade privileges. India had been the biggest beneficiary of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a programme designed to help developing countries sell to US consumers.

Last week, a US delegation headed by Assistant USTR for India Christopher Wilson was in New Delhi for a meeting with senior Indian officials. After the talks, India said the engagement was constructive and positive.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Trump in Osaka on the sidelines of G20 Summit last month.