Meet Brendan Lynch, the US negotiator tasked with bringing India-US trade talks back on track

India and the United States are experiencing a dip in their trade relations. US President Donald Trump has imposed a whopping 50 per cent tariff on India, including a 25 per cent tariff for importing Russian oil. In addition, his advisors — Howard Lutnick and Peter Navarro — continue to jibe New Delhi over its trade practices.

But can this situation turn around?

That’s what the American trade team, which arrived in New Delhi on Monday night (September 15), will hope as they attempt to break the logjam in the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) on Tuesday (September 16).

And leading the American delegation will be Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.

The question then remains — Can Lynch fast track the trade deal and revive the friendship between the two nations?

About Brendan Lynch, America’s point man on trade

Leading the American trade delegation in India is Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia. Simply put, he’s the point man on America’s complex trade negotiations with India, overseeing the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and broader engagement across the region.

Currently, Lynch oversees the development and implementation of US trade policy with regard to 15 countries in South and Central Asia. Prior to this, Lynch was the Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia. His expertise lies in sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, services, and intellectual property rights.

Lynch has a special knowledge when it comes to India; he served as the United States Trade Representative’s Director for India, where he managed the bilateral trade relationship with the nation.

Before joining the USTR in 2013, Lynch also served in the Office of Agricultural Affairs during which he promoted US agricultural trade interests across countries — ranging from Taiwan to Israel and as far as even Russia.

Before joining USTR, he worked as an International Trade Analyst at the US International Trade Commission, where he advised Congress on trade barriers.

Timing of Lynch’s visit to India

Lynch and the US trade team arrived in India on Monday night and will hold a day-long talk on the proposed India-US bilateral trade deal. As Rajesh Agarwal, India’s chief negotiator and a special secretary in India’s commerce ministry said that talks will be a ‘precursor’ to the sixth round of talks.

“This is not an official ‘round’ of negotiations but it will definitely be a discussion on the trade talks and on trying to see how we can reach an agreement between India and the US,” said Agarwal.

The Hindu also reported that based on today’s meeting a decision will be taken whether Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will head to Washington for the next round of talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

The timing of Lynch’s visit is also significant; this is the first in-person talks between the two countries after the negotiations for a trade deal broke down following Trump’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on India.

Moreover, it comes as Trump’s officials — Navarro and Lutnick — continue their rants against India. In fact, Lutnick , who serves as Trump’s Commerce Secretary, fumed in an interview, “Why won’t 1.4 billion people buy one bushel of US corn?”

And a week ago, Trump’s trade advisor, Navarro , said India “must come around” at some point on trade negotiations with the US or else it “won’t end well” for Delhi. He also said that India is the ‘Maharajah’ of tariffs.

Status of India-US trade talks

Lynch’s arrival in India and his scheduled day-long talks are being looked at with optimism with many hoping that it would bring a thaw in relations that have gone downhill in recent times.

Talks between India and the US hit a pause after Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff effective August 27 on New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil , in addition to the 25 per cent reciprocal tariff that became effective earlier on August 7.

Earlier, India was considered the frontrunner for a US deal — dating back to February this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Washington then, making him among the first world leaders to meet Trump in office. It was during this meeting that Trump and Modi announced that the two nations would expand the bilateral trade deal to $500 billion by 2030.

The next month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visits Washington to meet Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Later in March, US officials visit Delhi for talks.

In April during his visit to India, Vice President JD Vance announces that both sides have finalised the terms of reference for bilateral talks. Indian officials then announced that a trade deal could be signed before July 9 when Trump’s reciprocal tariffs would kick in across the world.

It is in June that signs of disagreements appear. While Trump announces a “big” trade deal with India is coming soon, officials in New Delhi tell Reuters that disagreements on import duties largely over farm goods.

A month later, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal says that India will not do trade deals to meet deadlines and national interest will be “supreme.” It’s also in July that PM Modi rejects US President Trump’s claims that he had brokered peace between India and Pakistan amid Operation Sindoor.

The final hit was on August 7 when Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods come into effect. At the time, Modi said India will not compromise farmers’ interest despite “a heavy price”. Days later, an additional 25 per cent tax came into effect for Indian imports owing to its purchase of Russian oil.

It was then that the US trade delegation trip’s to New Delhi scheduled for August 25-29 is cancelled.

We will have to wait and watch if Lynch and the American delegation can bring about a change but it is far from straightforward.

With inputs from agencies