Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday rejected a Reuters report suggesting that India was delaying an interim trade agreement with the United States because it believed its negotiating position had become stronger, calling the claims “completely false, baseless and misleading".
Responding to the report, Goyal said discussions between New Delhi and Washington were progressing as planned and reiterated that both countries remained committed to securing an agreement that serves their shared interests.
“This news is completely false, baseless and misleading," Goyal said in a post on X. The minister added that he had held “fantastic meetings" with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during his visit to New Delhi in June.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries. Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective," Goyal said.
His response came after Reuters, citing Indian and US officials along with analysts, reported that India had opted not to fast-track an interim trade pact with the United States because improving economic conditions, expanding trade relationships and reduced external risks had strengthened its bargaining position.
According to the Reuters report, New Delhi was unwilling to accept an agreement that failed to meet its key demands, including preferential tariff treatment over rival exporters such as China and guarantees that the United States would not impose additional tariffs after the deal was signed. The report also stated that Indian negotiators had remained firm on shielding politically sensitive sectors, including agriculture.
Reuters quoted an Indian government official as saying, “Our position is clear—we don’t intend to rush into a deal that is not on favourable terms or compromise on red lines like ceding ground on agriculture."
The report added that Washington had been seeking faster trade commitments before the Trump administration’s proposed tariff measures take effect later this month, even as negotiations between the two sides continue.
A US official quoted by Reuters said Washington still anticipated that an agreement would be reached but characterised India’s negotiating process as “slow, bureaucratic and difficult." Meanwhile, White House spokesman Kush Desai said the Trump administration remained engaged in constructive discussions with India aimed at concluding a trade agreement.
India and the United States have been engaged in negotiations over a bilateral trade agreement for several months. Earlier, both sides had indicated that an interim arrangement could be finalised ahead of the first phase of a broader trade pact.
The negotiations have centred on issues including market access, tariff cuts and sector-specific concessions. India has maintained throughout the discussions that any agreement must protect the interests of its farmers, MSMEs and other sensitive sectors while ensuring reciprocal gains for both countries.
The discussions have assumed greater significance as the Trump administration prepares to introduce another round of tariffs later this month. Currently, most Indian exports to the United States are subject to a baseline tariff of 10 per cent, while Washington has proposed imposing higher duties on certain countries under its wider trade policy.
