The US has assured India of a comparative tariff advantage over competing countries under the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), with both sides working to conclude the first tranche of the deal by the end of the current financial year, government sources said on Friday. The extent of the advantage, however, will depend on the tariff framework eventually agreed upon and the outcome of the second investigation initiated by the US Trade Representative (USTR) against India, the sources said. After the US Supreme Court invalidated reciprocal tariffs that were the basis of negotiations, the US is using alternate mechanisms to put up a new tariff architecture in place using provisions of the Trade Act.