Delhi: Days after announcing a landmark interim trade understanding with India, the United States has quietly modified its official factsheet, removing or softening several key claims that were highlighted earlier as part of the agreement.
The revised document, released after the deal was publicly welcomed as a major breakthrough, no longer includes any reference to pulses among the products that India would open up to American exporters. In the earlier version, pulses were listed alongside items such as fruits, nuts, sorghum, soybean oil, wine, and spirits as goods that would benefit from tariff reductions or eliminations.
Another significant change relates to the scale of India’s proposed purchases from the US. The earlier factsheet stated that India was “committed” to buying goods worth $500 billion. In the updated version, the language has been softened, with the term “committed” replaced by “intend,” indicating a less binding position.
The revised document has also removed references to agricultural imports altogether, a notable shift from the earlier emphasis on farm-sector trade. Additionally, the mention of India agreeing to roll back digital services taxes has been taken out of the latest factsheet.
According to reports, these changes suggest that several aspects of the agreement may still be under discussion or subject to future negotiation rather than finalised obligations.
The interim trade framework was concluded following a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, bringing an end to nearly a year of negotiations that began in February 2025. The agreement is expected to benefit India significantly, particularly in manufacturing and exports, with duties on several Indian goods reportedly reduced from as high as 50 percent to around 18 percent.
