By N Chandra Mohan The United States Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Jamieson Greer, candidly remarked that the Indo-US trade deal is not imminent. Addressing a press conference after the G20 trade ministerial conference in Milwaukee, he stated that although the talks are best described as being in the “short strokes”—or final concluding stages—an announcement is not imminent. Interestingly, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has indicated that the trade talks have reached a plateau. All of this contrasts sharply with optimistic assessments that it is done and dusted; that there are only small issues, commas, and full stops. This much-vaunted trade agreement thus is so near yet is a bridge too far. It remains only a work in progress despite several highly productive discussions to advance its prospects, including at Milwaukee.