India-US Trade Agreement: A New Chapter in Bilateral Relations

In a significant development, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has applauded the recently announced India-US interim trade agreement, highlighting its potential to enhance bilateral trade ties and benefit core sectors like agriculture.

Minister Athawale dismissed prevailing concerns about the agreement's effects on farmers, asserting it would serve to empower them. 'This agreement will bolster trade. Though our relations with the US were occasionally strained, they have generally been positive, benefiting our farmers,' he noted.

Echoing similar sentiments, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized that the agreement would favor Indian farmers and MSMEs by allowing duty-free export of agricultural products to the US while retaining protective tariffs for domestic markets. 'Our farmers, MSMEs, artisans, and craftsmen stand to gain significantly from better access to the US market,' he assured.

The framework marks a step toward a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement, originally initiated by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2025. As part of the agreement, India will lower tariffs on specific US agricultural and industrial goods, while the US will reciprocate with tariffs on Indian goods, with provisions for future concessions.