Washington, Sep 10 (TIWN) India has stayed out of negotiations on trade at the first in-person ministerial meeting of 14-nation Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, held in Los Angeles.

Trade is one of the four pillars of this trade arrangement that was launched by US President Joe Biden in May 2022, joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other leaders of the member countries. The other three are Supply Chain, Clean Economy, and Fair Economy.  India was led by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal at the talks. He also held several bilateral meetings including with his US counterparts - Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.  India participated in discussions on the remaining three pillars and also signed on to the separate statements that were released on the negotiations. All 14 member nations signed the three statements, but only 13 signed the one on trade, with India deciding to sit it out.  No reasons were forthcoming.  "You have correctly noted that India is not now in the trade pillar," US Trade Representative Tai said at a news conference with Commerce Secretary Raimondo in Los Angeles on Friday, at the conclusion of the discussion on Thursday. She added that she has been in regular touch with her Indian counterpart Goyal and that the two countries do and will cover the same issues - as at the IPEF - in their bilateral discussions, such as the Trade Policy Forum, which is to meet later in the year.  Raimondo said the IPEF is meant to be "flexible and inclusive".  Trade remains a key irritant in the India-US relations, which have otherwise seen significant progress.  When pressed for specific "sticking points" behind India's absence from trade talks, Tai, who is usually very careful with her words, couldn't contain her frustration. "I both want to and I don't want to, right," she said. "Part of me wants to tell you everything that just happened. But part of me is here to build trust with our partners."