Washington:

India and the United States have agreed to work constructively to resolve key outstanding bilateral trade issues and to take a comprehensive look at ways to expand the trade relationship, the Biden administration has said.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed the important trade and investment relationship between the two countries during her maiden phone call with her Indian counterpart Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

“They committed to strengthening cooperation on shared objectives and to revitalise engagement through the US-India Trade Policy Forum. They also agreed to work constructively to resolve key outstanding bilateral trade issues and to take a comprehensive look at ways to expand the trade relationship,” the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said in a readout of the call on Thursday.

Tai, who was confirmed by the Senate only a few days ago, stressed the critical importance of cooperation on a broad set of issues, including digital trade, intellectual property, agriculture, labor, and climate and environment.

Tai and Mr Goyal agreed to hold the next ministerial-level meeting of the Trade Policy Forum during 2021, the USTR said.