New Delhi, June 1 -- India and the US are closing in on the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), with both sides signalling that only minor issues remain before finalization, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Goyal said he was confident the two countries would conclude, sign and then move on to a broader pact, as a US delegation arrives for a fresh round of talks from 2-4 June.

"Mostly everything is finalised. As you know, US Ambassador George said that 99 per cent of the things have been finalized. Discussions are going on about small issues, commas and full stops," he said, noting that discussions build on a framework announced on 3 February.

He characterize...