During a recent three-day negotiation in Washington, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer characterized India as a 'tough nut to crack' regarding trade discussions. The Indian delegation, led by Darpan Jain (Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce), engaged with US officials, including Brendan Lynch (Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia), to refine the bilateral trade agreement framework. Announced on February 2, the agreement aims to boost bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. Greer noted India's longstanding protection of its agricultural markets, which complicates negotiations. Specific commodities, such as distillers dried grains (DDGs), were highlighted as potential areas for mutual agreement. Following a recent US Supreme Court ruling that affected tariffs, India is looking to adjust the agreement to safeguard its interests within the new global tariff landscape, particularly as the US plans to reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%.