Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says India has protected sensitive sectors in trade negotiations with the US, even as Washington opens fresh investigations into alleged unfair trade practices.
File picture: Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses the INDovation MedTech Innovation & Startup Showcase | ANI
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday dismissed reports suggesting that India might postpone a trade agreement with the United States for several months, calling such claims completely unfounded.
The minister said the reports circulating since morning had no basis and should not be taken seriously. His remarks came during the NXT Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where he sought to clarify the government’s position on the ongoing trade engagement between the two countries.
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“There is some absolutely baseless report circulating from today morning… which you should trash. There is absolutely no basis in it at all. We have a very good trade agreement with the United States of America,” Goyal said.
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He added that the proposed arrangement is designed to benefit both nations while protecting India’s key sectors.
Goyal said India has ensured that its vulnerable sectors remain safeguarded in the negotiations.
“We have been able to protect all our sensitive sectors like Agriculture. India’s interests have been safeguarded like no GM products, no rice, no corn, no maize, no soya bean and no dairy or poultry either. It is a very powerful agreement, it is great for both India and America as every trade deal should be,” he said.
According to the minister, the agreement could also help India access advanced technologies from the US and attract investment in emerging sectors.
“The deal also helps us get the best of technologies from America so that we can become the data centre of the world and can have large investments post the successful AI Summit,” he added.
Officials in the Commerce Ministry have also indicated that discussions with Washington are progressing normally and there has been no pause in bilateral engagement.
Last month, India and the United States announced that they had agreed on a framework for an interim arrangement on reciprocal trade. The move reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to a broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), negotiations for which were launched by US President Donald J Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025.
The joint statement described the interim arrangement as an important step in strengthening economic ties.
In a separate development, the Donald Trump administration has opened new investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by 16 trading partners, including India, China and Bangladesh. The probe follows a recent US Supreme Court ruling that struck down earlier tariff measures, prompting Washington to explore fresh ways to apply tariff pressure.
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