Indian negotiators have prolonged their stay in Washington DC as the deadline for finalizing a deal with the United States rapidly approaches.

The reprieve from US President Donald Trump’s ‘reciprocal tariffs’ is set to expire on July 9. Nations worldwide, including India, are racing to secure a deal, or at least a smaller agreement, to avoid incurring high tariffs — which would be 26 percent for India.

Despite Trump suggesting that a “very big” deal with India is imminent, both parties seem to have reached an impasse over contentious areas such as agriculture and dairy. While Trump is pushing for India to open its market to American genetically modified (GM) crops and dairy products, India remains resistant, as GM food crops are prohibited in the country and the American dairy industry utilizes animal feed for cattle — the products from such cattle may not be culturally acceptable to many Indians.