Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that the United States should sign the free trade agreement with India if it is happy with the offers that New Delhi has made, PTI reported.
Goyal was responding to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s statement on Tuesday that Washington had received the “best ever” offer from India amid trade negotiations.
The Union minister, however, did not provide details on India’s offer to the US or the potential deadline for signing of the agreement.
On Tuesday, Greer told the US Senate Appropriations Committee that India has been a “difficult nut to crack”, citing New Delhi’s resistance to import agricultural products from the US. He noted that there was resistance in India to buying row crops and meat products from the United States.
In August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India will not compromise on the interests of its farmers, livestock keepers and fisherfolk. The prime minister’s comment was an apparent reference to the trade talks with the US.
The combined US tariff rate for India is at 50%. A 25% so-called reciprocal duty was imposed on August 7, followed by an additional 25% punitive levy on August 27.
The punitive tariffs were introduced as part of US President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against countries purchasing discounted oil from Russia amid Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
After the punitive levies were announced, New Delhi had said it was “extremely unfortunate” that the US had chosen to impose additional tariffs on India “for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest”.
However, trade talks between the two countries have gained fresh momentum in recent months.
On November 10, Trump said that Washington will bring down the tariffs imposed on India “at some point” and claimed that New Delhi has substantially reduced its purchase of Russian oil.
On Monday, Trump threatened to impose fresh tariffs on some agricultural products that Washington imports, including rice from India.
Modi, Trump discuss bilateral ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke with US President Donald Trump on the phone on Thursday.
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments," Modi said in a post on X.
Modi and Trump have spoken three times since Trump doubled tariffs on imports from India to 50%.
Modi described his conversation with Trump as "warm and engaging" and said the two countries would continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity.
You’ve read Scroll.
Now help sustain it
Scroll is funded by readers, not corporate owners. If you believe our work matters, support our newsroom. Become a member today!
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!