“India Wins, Opposition Cribs”: Goyal on US Trade Deal

• Piyush Goyal calls India-US trade deal region’s most favourable
• US cuts reciprocal tariff on India from 25% to 18%
• Goyal slams Rahul Gandhi over claims of pressure on PM Modi
• Fine print awaited, Russia oil claim remains unverified

GG News Bureau
Washington, 3rd Feb: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday described the newly announced India–US trade deal as the “best in the neighbourhood”, asserting that it places India in a far stronger position than most competing economies. He also launched a sharp attack on the Opposition, particularly Rahul Gandhi, over criticism of the agreement.

Responding to claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accepted the deal under pressure, Goyal said the Congress leader was attempting to mislead the public. “Rahul Gandhi does not care about India’s progress. He wants to spread confusion and negativity,” the minister said.

The trade deal, finalised after months of negotiations and several setbacks, was announced on Sunday—first by US President Donald Trump and later confirmed by Prime Minister Modi, who thanked Trump for the agreement.

While the detailed text of the deal is yet to be released, Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that India and the United States have “agreed to a Trade Deal” under which the US will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.

The revised tariff is among the lowest announced by the US for major competing economies and significantly lower than those faced by India’s neighbours. China is currently subject to tariffs of 37 per cent, Bangladesh 20 per cent and Pakistan 19 per cent. Developed economies such as the European Union, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom enjoy even lower rates.

Goyal argued that the tariff reduction reflects international confidence in India’s economic trajectory and negotiating strength, calling it a clear endorsement of the Modi government’s trade and manufacturing policies.

However, uncertainty remains over certain claims made by Trump. The US President suggested that the deal would also involve India halting purchases of Russian oil, but neither New Delhi nor Washington has issued any official clarification on this aspect. Russia, too, has not released any statement on the matter.

With the fine print of the agreement awaited, the deal has already triggered a political slugfest at home, even as the government projects it as a major economic and diplomatic win for India.