Will the India-US deal be signed before the July-9 deadline
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that he (the PM) would readily accede to the deadline set by US President Donald Trump despite issues in the trade deal. “Piyush Goyal can beat his chest all he wants, mark my words, Modi will meekly bow to the Trump tariff deadline,” Gandhi wrote on X
Gandhi’s reaction came as Union Minister Piyush Goyal asserted that India would enter into a trade agreement with the US only if its interests were protected. An interim trade deal between India and the US was expected to be signed before the July 9 deadline, however, issues related to the agriculture sector, particularly around genetically modified crops and dairy products, are said to be holding the final decision.
Notably, regarding the prospects of an interim US deal by July 9, Goyal said any agreement would be announced only when “fully finalised, properly concluded and in the national interest.”
On Thursday India’s negotiating team returned to Delhi Thursday after week-long talks in Washington. According to sources, despite having a draft interim agreement in hand, key issues around automobiles and agriculture remained unresolved.
India is pushing for the US to roll back all current and planned retaliatory tariffs, including a 26% reciprocal tariff, comprising a 10% duty that took effect on April 5 and an additional 16% set to begin from July 9.
