Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to visit the UK and the US in April amid free trade talks, Trump rates | Today news

New -Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visits the United Kingdom from 8 to 10 April, and the United States from April 21 to April 26, two people aware of the matter to Mint. In the UK, Sitharaman will participate in the economic and financial dialogue in India and the United Kingdom and the most important government officials have quoted the first person above, who does not want to be mentioned. The meetings will include representatives from the Ministry of Finance of India, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, International Financial Services Centers Authority, and officials of the British Treasury, Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority. Sitharaman visits the US for the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, the US cited the first person above. “During her visit to the UK, Sitharaman can hold a bilateral meeting with the UK Chancellor of Treasury Rachel Reeves and other British ministers,” this person added. India-UK Free Trade Agreement Sitharaman’s visit to the UK comes as the two countries negotiate a free trade agreement. On February 24, Minister of Trade and Industry Piyush Goyal, Affairs and Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds announced the resumption of talks for the proposed Free Trade Agreement in India-UK (FTA) after an eight-month break. It was launched on January 13, 2022, there have been 14 rounds of discussions so far. The two countries negotiate three key agreements – the FTA, a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) and an agreement with double tax avoidance. Sitharaman’s visit to the US will come weeks after President Donald Trump imposes reciprocal rates on America’s trading partners. A reciprocal rate is a trade measure in which a country corresponds to another’s import tax on its exports to ensure balanced trade and protect domestic industries. India-American talks from India and the US will hold sectoral discussions under a proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) in the coming weeks. The decision follows four days of negotiations between senior officials from both countries, which concluded on March 29. “The US Travel of the US Minister of Finance will mainly involve her participation in the World Bank Group and the IMF -Lente meetings. She is expected to meet the top officials of the World Bank and the IMF,” the second person quoted above. “This visit comes at an important time for India’s trade and investment negotiations with both the UK and the US. While London discussions can also focus on promoting the FTA and investment framework, the commitments in Washington are likely to focus on global economic cooperation,” this person added. A spokesman for the Ministry of Finance did not respond to email questions. Catch all the business news, the news reports and the latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. Business Newsnewsindiafinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to visit the UK and the US in April amid free trade, Trump rates less less