The post No Concern Over 500 Billion Dollar Imports From US in Five Years, Says Piyush Goyal appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Speaking in New Delhi, Goyal explained that India currently imports goods worth nearly 300 billion dollars from the US. With steady economic expansion, this figure could rise significantly in the coming years. He stated that India’s economy is expected to create demand worth nearly two trillion dollars, making higher imports manageable. He assured that while India welcomes trade, it will remain competitive in the global market.
Goyal emphasized that adequate safeguards have been incorporated in the trade understanding with the United States to protect the interests of Indian farmers and domestic industries. He said that the government has carefully negotiated the terms to ensure that sensitive sectors are not adversely affected.
Referring to the livestock and poultry sectors, the minister noted that India has agreed to certain tariff rate quotas for products such as corn based animal feed, also known as DDGS. He said this decision would strengthen the poultry and animal husbandry sectors by ensuring access to quality feed at competitive prices.
Goyal added that India is negotiating trade agreements with confidence and strength. He pointed out that India could access a market worth 35 trillion dollars in the future through such partnerships. According to him, the objective of these agreements is to expand opportunities for Indian goods and services globally.
The minister further stated that Indian farmers are already exporting agricultural products worth 50 to 55 billion dollars. With improved access to international markets, including the United States, farmers are expected to benefit from better prices and higher demand. He highlighted that Indian products will gain a competitive advantage in the American market, especially when compared with countries that face higher tariffs.
Meanwhile, political reactions have also emerged. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said that the India US trade understanding would boost economic development and create new employment opportunities for youth. He remarked that the agreement was finalized after detailed discussions and careful consideration.
On the other hand, the Communist Party of India Marxist expressed concern, alleging that the agreement could pose risks to the country’s economic sovereignty. The party claimed that excessive concessions may have been granted to the United States. In response, the Prime Minister’s Office clarified that national interests remain paramount in all trade negotiations.
Overall, the government maintains that the proposed expansion in trade with the United States will strengthen India’s economy, generate jobs, support farmers, and safeguard domestic industries while enhancing India’s position in global markets.
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]]>Goyal explained that around 30 billion dollars worth of Indian goods exported to the United States will continue to face an average tariff of 18 percent, which includes labour-intensive products. However, nearly 12 billion dollars worth of Indian exports, including some agricultural items, will see no change in the existing duty structure.
He further stated that commodities such as steel, aluminium, copper and automobile components are currently subject to uniform tariffs across countries. The United States imposes up to 50 percent duty on these items, but this was introduced as an interim measure. India expects these rates to be reviewed and adjusted in the first phase of the upcoming bilateral trade agreement.
The minister highlighted that the government aims to ensure balanced trade growth while protecting domestic industries. He added that the proposed trade framework will help improve market access and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
No Import Duty on These Products
According to the minister, agricultural products including meat, poultry, dairy products, apples, tree nuts, soya meal, oilseeds, grains, maize, barley, fruits such as bananas and berries, dry fruits, pulses, chickpeas, lentils, pet food, honey and malt will not attract import duty.
India–US Trade Measures to Protect Domestic Industry
Goyal clarified that India remains firm on safeguarding its farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises. He said India will continue to raise concerns at international forums against unfair trade practices and dumping. The country’s approach is to strengthen its manufacturing base while maintaining fair competition.
Boeing and Airbus Orders to Increase
The commerce minister noted that India is likely to increase aircraft purchases from Boeing and Airbus in the future. He said several Indian airlines have already held discussions with the top management of both companies regarding fleet expansion and long-term supply arrangements.
Quota-Based Duty Relief on Apples
Under the proposed trade arrangement, India will provide quota-based duty concessions on apples imported from the United States. Imports beyond the quota limit will attract a 25 percent duty. The quota will be capped at 80,000 metric tonnes annually.
On Tariff Parity
Responding to a query, Goyal said that zero-duty access under the agreement would improve India’s competitiveness in the US market. He pointed out that while the per capita income in the United States is around 90,000 dollars, India’s per capita income stands close to 3,000 dollars, making balanced trade policies essential.
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]]>The post India Reaffirms Energy Security Priority Amid Claims on Russian Oil Purchases appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s energy decisions are firmly guided by national interest, particularly the need to ensure reliable and affordable energy for its population of 1.4 billion.
Jaiswal said the government has repeatedly stated that energy security is a supreme priority and added that India’s strategy focuses on diversifying its energy sources in line with objective market conditions and changing international realities. He emphasised that all decisions related to energy sourcing are taken with this principle in mind.
Trump made the remarks following the announcement of a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States. In a social media post, he claimed that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and would instead increase purchases from the US and potentially Venezuela, linking the move to efforts to end the Russia Ukraine conflict.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi later confirmed the trade agreement, no official statement was issued by the Indian government regarding any decision to discontinue Russian oil imports.
Responding to questions on Venezuela, Jaiswal said India remains open to sourcing oil from any country based on commercial viability. He noted that India has a long standing partnership with Venezuela and would continue to make energy decisions guided by economic considerations.
The India US trade agreement was announced earlier this week, with tariffs on Indian goods reportedly reduced from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the final agreement is in its concluding stages, a view echoed by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who said the deal was still being finalised. A joint statement detailing the agreement is expected soon.
Russia also reacted to the developments, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova saying there was no indication that India would reconsider its energy cooperation with Moscow. She said the trade in energy resources benefits both countries and contributes to stability in global energy markets.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said India has always sourced oil from multiple suppliers and that Russia is not the country’s sole energy partner, adding that there was nothing unusual in India’s diversified procurement approach.
Separately, Goyal reiterated the government’s position, once again stressing that energy security for 1.4 billion Indians remains paramount and that diversification based on market conditions and evolving global dynamics is central to India’s energy strategy.
The remarks come as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visits the United States to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jaishankar said his meetings included an extensive review of bilateral cooperation, along with discussions on the Indo Pacific, West Asia, Gaza and the Ukraine conflict.
At the Critical Minerals meeting, the External Affairs Minister also expressed India’s support for the FORGE initiative, aimed at strengthening resource security and geostrategic engagement.
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]]>The post Rahul Gandhi Alleges PM Modi Yielded to US Pressure on Trade Deal, Says Farmers Betrayed appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Gandhi said he was prevented from addressing the Lok Sabha on the President’s address after insisting on referring to an article that cited excerpts from former Army chief General M M Naravane’s unpublished memoir. He claimed this marked the first time in parliamentary history that a Leader of Opposition was not allowed to speak on such an occasion.
Gandhi alleged that the trade deal, which had remained unresolved for months, was suddenly finalised under unexplained circumstances. He claimed that the agreement amounted to a sell-out of Indian farmers and asserted that the Prime Minister was under immense pressure.
In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi said the Prime Minister was compromised and unwilling to allow debate in Parliament on issues related to General Naravane, the Epstein files and India’s surrender on tariffs.
According to Gandhi, the controversy surrounding Naravane’s remarks was only a distraction. He said the real issue was that the Prime Minister had been compromised and was afraid of scrutiny.
He further alleged that the Prime Minister was under enormous pressure and that the image built over years through massive expenditure could collapse. Gandhi claimed the farmers of India needed to understand that their labour, sacrifices and livelihoods had been traded away through the agreement.
The Congress leader said the government’s refusal to allow him to speak was evidence of fear and insecurity at the highest level.
Asked about the nature of the pressure on the Prime Minister, Gandhi referred to legal issues involving industrialist Gautam Adani in the United States and developments linked to the Epstein files. He described these as pressure points affecting the government.
The Epstein files refer to a large set of documents connected to investigations into sex trafficking by financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including emails, travel records and recordings that have drawn renewed attention in recent years.
Responding to Gandhi’s allegations, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anurag Thakur questioned whether the Congress and other opposition parties were acting in India’s national interest. He rejected claims that the Prime Minister had surrendered to external pressure.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also raised concerns over the trade agreement, saying the United States had indicated that American agricultural products would now gain access to the Indian market. She demanded clarity from the government on whether Indian farmers would be exposed to direct competition with American companies.
She said millions of Indian farmers deserved transparency on the terms of the agreement and whether their interests had been compromised.
The trade deal was announced after a phone conversation between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump. Trump said the agreement would reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the existing 25 per cent.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the announcement, saying he was pleased that tariffs on Made in India products had been reduced. He thanked President Trump, stating that the decision would benefit India’s economy and exporters.
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]]>The post US Leaders Hail India Trade Deal as Boost for American Farms, Energy Ties and Global Strategy appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>US lawmakers and officials described India as a close and strategic partner, stressing that the agreement marks a positive reset in bilateral ties and opens the Indian market further to American goods and services.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Jim Risch congratulated President Trump on the agreement, calling it a major achievement. He said it was encouraging that the world’s largest democracy had agreed to lower trade barriers with the United States.
Risch described India as an essential partner in countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific and said the new deal would also support Washington’s efforts to weaken Russia’s war economy. He noted that India’s commitment to purchase more American goods would help reduce its reliance on Russian energy and contribute to efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the agreement would provide a major boost to American farmers by expanding access to India’s vast consumer market. She said increased exports would raise prices for farm produce and inject new income into rural America.
Rollins pointed out that the United States recorded an agricultural trade deficit of 1.3 billion dollars with India in 2024. She added that India’s growing population makes it a key market for American farm products and that the deal could help narrow the trade gap.
Energy and investment cooperation was also highlighted by US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who described Trump as a dealmaker delivering record investments through American energy exports. He said the agreement demonstrated the use of energy diplomacy to strengthen international relationships while supporting the US economy.
President Trump announced that the trade deal would lower reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. He said India would also reduce its tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American products to zero.
Senator Lindsey Graham said India had earned the tariff reduction and praised the agreement as part of a broader strategy to pressure countries that support Russia’s war effort. He said reducing purchases of Russian oil would increase pressure on Moscow and bring the conflict in Ukraine closer to an end.
Graham has previously proposed legislation that would impose steep tariffs on countries continuing to buy Russian oil.
Strategic analysts also reacted to the announcement. Kurt Campbell, Chairman and Co-Founder of Washington-based advisory firm The Asia Group and a former US Deputy Secretary of State, said the agreement was a welcome but delayed signal after months of strain in bilateral ties.
He said both sides were now attempting to restore momentum in a partnership once seen as central to the 21st century. While the deal includes steps to open Indian markets to US companies, Campbell noted that restoring long-term strategic alignment would remain a challenge.
The agreement was finalised after a phone conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump said the two leaders discussed trade, global security and efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump said India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and instead increase purchases from the United States and potentially Venezuela. He added that India had committed to buying American energy, technology, agricultural products and other goods worth more than 500 billion dollars.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the agreement and thanked President Trump for reducing tariffs on Indian products. He said the deal would benefit both nations and unlock new opportunities for cooperation between the world’s largest democracies.
Modi said stronger India-US ties would contribute to global peace, stability and prosperity and expressed his commitment to working closely with Trump to take the partnership to new heights.
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]]>The post India Rejects US Claim on Trade Deal Delay, Reaffirms Commitment to Mutually Beneficial Pact appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Responding to the comments, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India and the United States had committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement as early as February 13 last year, following a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump at the White House. Since then, several rounds of negotiations have taken place to arrive at a balanced and fair deal, officials said.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that on multiple occasions the two sides had come close to sealing the agreement, adding that the portrayal of the talks in the reported remarks was not accurate. He emphasised that India remains interested in concluding a trade pact that benefits both sides and expressed hope that discussions would eventually lead to an agreement.
Jaiswal also pointed out that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke over the phone eight times during 2025, covering a wide range of bilateral and global issues. According to people familiar with the negotiations, there was no stage during the past year when a single phone call could have concluded the trade deal.
The latest exchange comes against the backdrop of strained India US relations, which have faced significant challenges in recent months. Negotiations on the trade pact suffered a major setback after the United States imposed a steep 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent duty linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
In his remarks on a podcast, Lutnick said India had been given three deadlines to finalise the deal and suggested that a direct call from Prime Minister Modi to President Trump was necessary to close it. He claimed that after the United States concluded a trade deal with the United Kingdom, India was expected to be next in line but failed to act within the expected timeframe. Lutnick also indicated that the previously negotiated deal with India was no longer under consideration.
At the same media briefing, the MEA spokesperson said India was closely monitoring developments related to a proposed Russia sanctions bill introduced by US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The bill seeks to impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries purchasing Russian oil, including India and China.
Jaiswal reiterated that India’s approach to energy sourcing is guided by global market conditions and the need to ensure affordable energy for its population of 1.4 billion people.
Commenting on the United States decision to withdraw from several international organisations and UN bodies, including the International Solar Alliance, Jaiswal said India continues to support multilateralism. He noted that the ISA has made substantial progress in promoting solar energy cooperation among its 125 member countries and said India would continue to advance its objectives.
Apart from trade and tariffs, India US relations are also under strain due to differences over other issues, including President Trump’s claims about mediating the India Pakistan conflict last year and Washington’s evolving immigration policies.
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]]>The post India US Trade Deal Likely in First Half of the Year Says Ian Bremmer appeared first on The Edge Media.
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Ian Bremmer shared an optimistic outlook on the agreement with media and indicated that progress is firmly on track. He stated that while the tariff hike has drawn attention this year, its overall impact is unlikely to dominate India’s risk landscape in the following year.
Negotiations between India and the United States have been underway for several months, but the pace slowed after relations became strained in August last year. This followed Washington’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on certain Indian exports, citing India’s continued import of Russian oil. The move added complexity to the talks and affected momentum.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last held discussions with former US President Donald Trump on December 11, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India. Later in December, US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer visited India, after which Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that the discussions with the United States had reached an advanced stage.
Earlier, Donald Trump also commented on his relationship with Prime Minister Modi, noting that despite cordial ties, there were disagreements related to tariffs and oil imports. He acknowledged that India has significantly reduced its oil purchases from Russia, which may influence future trade decisions.
The lack of a clearly defined timeline and the evolving nature of negotiations have increased pressure on Indian exporters as the new financial year approaches. Key domestic export industries, including leather, chemicals, footwear, gems and jewellery, textiles, and shrimp, have faced severe challenges due to the 50% US tariff and are now looking toward the proposed trade deal for potential relief in the near term.
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