India-US Trade Deal: Talks Progress, India Simplifies Import Rules

• Ministry of External Affairs confirmed ongoing India-US talks for a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement.
• US Deputy Trade Representative recently visited India, meeting officials to advance trade deal discussions.
• Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated India-US trade talks are in the 'next phase' and India is exploring FTA with Canada.
• India announced reforms on December 24 to simplify import quality checks, addressing US concerns about complex rules.
• These reforms include reduced paperwork, shorter timelines, and fewer inspections, seen as a positive step.

Why It Matters: India-US trade talks advance with MEA confirmation and India's new import reforms.