Starting April 20, a team of about a dozen Indian officials will engage in three days of negotiations in Washington, D.C. regarding the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States. Led by Darpan Jain, the additional secretary in the Department of Commerce, the talks aim to recalibrate the trade framework in light of recent changes in the US tariff landscape. Following a US Supreme Court ruling against former President Donald Trump's tariffs, the US imposed a 10% tariff on all countries starting February 24 for 150 days, necessitating a reassessment of the agreement initially proposed to reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. The discussions will also address two unilateral investigations initiated by the US Trade Representative (USTR) against India, which India has strongly contested. Furthermore, India has expressed intentions to purchase $500 billion worth of US products, including energy products and aircraft parts, over the next five years. As trade dynamics shift, China has now become India's largest trading partner, surpassing the US in the fiscal year 2025-26.