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India-U.S. aim to conclude first part of trade deal this

year

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India will increase scrutiny on low-cost imports, official

says

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India trade minister says China's trade practices unfair

(Recasts, adds details and industry reaction)

By Shivangi Acharya and Manoj Kumar

NEW DELHI, April 10 (Reuters) - India wants to move

quickly on a trade deal with the United States, a government

official said on Thursday, after President Donald Trump's

decision to pause reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries,

while hiking levies on China.

India and the United States agreed in February to work on

the first phase of a trade deal to be concluded late this year,

with a view to reaching two-way trade worth $500 billion by

2030.

"India is one of the first nations to start talks over a

deal with the United States and to have jointly agreed to a

deadline to conclude it," said the official, who spoke on

condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

India's trade ministry, which is leading the talks with the

United States, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking

comment.

The Indian trade minister said at an event in New Delhi

earlier this week that manufacturers in India and the U.S. have

suffered from China's unfair trade practices over the years.

India will raise scrutiny on imports to spot any potential

dumping of goods, including from China, the official said

On Wednesday, Trump temporarily lowered duties on trading

partners including India, just 24 hours after imposing tariffs

that unleashed the most intense market volatility since the

early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shifting the focus back to a bilateral trade war with China,

Trump said he would raise to 125% the tariff on imports from

China. The U.S. reciprocal tariff on India stands at 10%.

The decision to halt further tariffs is especially a relief

for Indian shrimp exporters, the official said, citing an

industry that faced a tariff disadvantage compared to

competitors like Ecuador.

Nearly $14 billion worth of electronics products and over $9

billion worth of gems and jewellery were also among the sectors

impacted by the U.S. tariffs.

Ajay Sahai, director general at the Federation of India

Export Organisations, representing more than 37,000 exporters,

said the 90-day pause gives Indian negotiators time to work on

concluding a bilateral trade deal with the United States.

"The U.S. appears determined to hit China hard, and if it

wants to ensure a non-disruptive supply of goods to its

consumers while keeping inflation in check, India remains one of

the most reliable suppliers," Sahai said.

(Additional reporting by Dhwani Pandya in Mumbai; Editing by

Clarence Fernandez and Barbara Lewis)