US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster is leading the delegation on the ground. Washington has also had a longstanding grievance with India over its large trade deficit with the United States and what it sees as the Indian government’s lax intellectual property enforcement. A US trade delegation led by United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin began high-level talks with Chinese counterparts on Thursday to de-escalate a tariff war ahead of a March 1 deadline for a deal. The sources also said that trade negotiations would be conducted by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and not by the Commerce Department, which is focused on boosting investment, improving the business climate and some specific areas such as travel and tourism. “It will be a friendly discussion, they would avoid the risk of disappointment,” said a source with knowledge of the matter.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 14, 2019 16:30 UTC