New Delhi: Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday said he expects the United States to soon roll back the penal tariffs imposed on Indian goods and ease reciprocal duties in the coming weeks, offering hope of relief for exporters battered by higher levies.

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Nageswaran said the 25% penal tariff imposed by Washington in August could be withdrawn as early as the end of November.

“I do believe that the penal tariffs will not be there beyond November 30. It’s not a statement based on any concrete indicator or evidence, but it is my hope that, given the recent developments, I do believe there will be a resolution in the next couple of months on the penal tariff and hopefully, reciprocal tariff also,” he said.

The CEA indicated that the reciprocal duty, currently at 25%, may be reduced to a band of 10–15%.

He added that the overall tariff dispute could see resolution within the next 8–10 weeks, though he stressed this was his personal assessment and not based on a formal assurance.

The comments come just days after India’s chief trade negotiator, Commerce Ministry’s Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, met with US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch in New Delhi. It was the first face-to-face meeting since the Trump administration announced steep additional tariffs on Indian exports last month, citing India’s continued energy trade with Russia.

The double-layered tariff regime has left some Indian products facing duties as high as 50%, squeezing margins for exporters in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, and certain food products. A rollback, even partial, could ease cost pressures and restore predictability in bilateral trade, analysts say.