Toronto: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had no opportunity to push for a US trade deal with Donald Trump after the American President left the G7 leaders’ summit early, a potential setback for New Delhi as recent tariff negotiations hit hurdles.

Modi was expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in Canada this week. Trump said on Monday that he was leaving the summit a day early because of the unfolding tensions in the Middle East.

A Trump-Modi meeting was widely expected to take place this week to give much-needed political direction to trade negotiators as they race to conclude a deal ahead of a July 9 deadline when higher US tariffs take effect. US and Indian trade officials have hardened their positions in recent talks, with India’s restrictions on genetically modified crops emerging as one of the key sticking points.

“A meeting would have been helpful” to clarify the trade deal, said Harsh Pant, a lecturer in international relations at King’s College London and vice president of the New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation.

Negotiating with Trump is difficult, especially now when the president has other pressing concerns, he said. It’s unclear if India is a priority for the US given the latest developments, he added.