India has refuted claims that it has committed to reducing import duties on US products, days after US President Donald Trump stated that New Delhi had agreed to “cut their tariffs way down.”
Trump, who recently began his second term, has been aggressive on global trade, imposing reciprocal tariffs on multiple countries, including India. He has repeatedly accused trade partners of “unfair” practices and targeted both allies and rivals with new trade policies.
Trump’s Criticism of India’s Tariffs
Speaking last week, Trump criticized India’s tariff policies, claiming: “You can’t sell anything into India, it is almost restrictive.” He further asserted, “They have agreed, by the way, they want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody is finally exposing them for what they have done.”
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Indian Government Denies Agreement
Contrary to Trump’s claims, the Indian government has clarified that “no commitments had been made to the US on the issue.” A report published in The Times of India on Tuesday revealed that India had sought time until September to address concerns repeatedly raised by the American president.
India’s commerce secretary, Sunil Barthwal, emphasized that both nations were working towards a “mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement,” prioritizing long-term cooperation over immediate tariff adjustments.
India-US Trade Relations and Upcoming Engagements
Despite differences on tariffs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains optimistic about strengthening economic ties with the US. Following his recent visit to the White House, Modi stated that the world’s largest and fifth-largest economies were collaborating on a “mutually beneficial trade agreement” expected to be finalized “very soon.”
The United States continues to be a crucial market for India’s IT and services sectors, while India has significantly increased its purchases of American military hardware in recent years.
Adding to the diplomatic momentum, Trump is expected to visit India later this year for a summit of Quad leaders, including Australia, Japan, India, and the US. This visit could further shape the evolving trade negotiations between the two countries.
