NEW DELHI, 21 February 2022, (TON): Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said “India and the US are in dialogue to look at ways, beyond a free trade agreement, to promote economic ties by providing better market access and enhanced engagement on investments.”

The Commerce and Industry Minister said that both countries are working on many things to further boost economic ties.

"The US has taken a decision not to do any other new free trade agreement. Now that is the call the US has taken, it's not about whether they want to do a deal with India, they have taken a call at the macro level.

He said while addressing the 19th Annual Harvard India Conference "however my counterpart and I are in dialogue to see how at least we can look at other ways beyond an FTA, better market access, more engagement on investments, and maybe identify products where we could support each other.”

Talking about India's trade, the minister said the country's merchandise exports would cross the $400-billion mark in this fiscal.

"Our imports are also all-time high and we welcome it" because through imports a country gets technology, capital equipment, and intermediate products which help in promoting domestic manufacture.