(PTI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s American visit, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India and US should aim to increase bilateral trade to USD 500 billion from the under USD 150 billion. The minister also said that both the governments are working on “hiccups” which have impacted the ties in the past, and seeking to strengthen the relationship. The Commerce Minister’s remarks come a day ahead of Modi’s American visit, where he is going to address a joint event with US President Donald Trump.
Trade ties between the two countries have been mixed in the immediate past, with Trump frequently flagging concerns over aspects such as import duties. The Trump administration has also capped H1-B visas at lower levels to protect domestic jobs, reducing the number of Indian techies going to the US. “We can have significant ramp-up of the Indo-US engagement bilaterally…India should not look at anything less than USD 500 billion trade with the US. that is the kind of target we should look at,” Goyal said, speaking at an Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) event here. “Let’s look at a very ambitious trade target, and once we look at an ambitious trade target, I am sure things will start falling in place,” Goyal said, acknowledging the help of the Trump administration in deepening the ties.
