Lunch Diplomacy: Goyal Meets Lutnick as Trade Deal Hangs

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India-US interim deal in spotlight as Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hosts Lutnick over lunch

By TRH News Desk

New Delhi, February 26, 2026 — Union Minister for Commerce Piyush Goyal hosted his US counterpart Howard Lutnick over a lunch on Thursday. US ambassador in New Delhi Sergio Gor was also present at the luncheon meeting. Both sides stated on X that the meeting was “productive and fruitful.”

Lutnick is visiting India reportedly in his personal capacity. But his luncheon meeting has caught attention of observers as India and the US had announced deferring a trade meeting after the Supreme Court of America had ruled Trump’s tariffs illegal.

Goyal in a post on X said that he “engaged in a fruitful discussion to expand trade and economic partnership.” Gor also posted on X, stating: “A very productive meeting…so many areas for cooperation.”

Lutnick is in India after Trump announced a global 10 percent tariffs after the ruling of the Supreme Court. Trump had announced an interim trade deal with India. He had stipulated 18 percent tariffs for India.

After the meeting of the trade negotiators were deferred, Trump had posted a message on his Truth Social, warning that he would impose “far higher tariffs” against those who will rethink trade deals with the US. While the US tariff on India has automatically come down to 10 percent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now facing Opposition attack for allowing Indian market access to the US at zero tariff, besides opening agri-market.

Trump had claimed in his social media posts that India has committed to buying $500 billions of American goods for the next five years. This translated to over 100 percent jump in the US exports to India.

The Modi government has not officially stated if there is a rethink on the interim trade deal. The meeting of Goyal with Lutnick assumes significance as the Trump administration is working overtime to save the trade deals announced with some of the nations.