India on Thursday confirmed that exports of made-in-India products to the United States will now attract a reduced tariff of 18 per cent, following a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. The clarification came a day after President Trump announced the move on social media, triggering widespread attention around the contours of the India–US trade understanding and its economic implications.
Addressing the media, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Prime Minister had spoken to President Trump and later acknowledged the tariff reduction publicly. He said the revised tariff rate would give a significant push to Indian exports, particularly benefiting labour-intensive sectors and employment generation, while adding that the US side had confirmed the final tariff figure.
“Prime Minister had a telecon with President Trump. Post that call and post the tweet by President Trump, the Prime Minister thanked President Trump for the reduction in reciprocal tariffs. The Prime Minister noted that made-in-India products will now be exported to the United States at a reduced tariff of 18%. This trade agreement will give a major boost to our exports to the United States. It will be a major boost to the labour-intensive industries here in India, create new job opportunities, growth and prosperity for our people. The US side has also clarified that the final figure of the tariff is 18%.”
India’s energy position amid US claims on oil sourcing
The MEA also responded to questions raised after President Trump claimed that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and would instead shift to sourcing crude from the United States and possibly Venezuela. Clarifying India’s position, Jaiswal said Venezuela had been a long-standing energy partner, with trade and investment ties in the oil sector stretching back several years.
He outlined how India’s crude imports from Venezuela had been disrupted due to sanctions, noting that supplies had resumed briefly before being halted again after sanctions were reimposed.
“As far as Venezuela is concerned, it has been a long-standing partner for us in the area of energy, both on the trade side and also on the investment side. We were importing energy and crude oil from Venezuela until 2019-20, after which we had to stop. Again, we began buying oil from Venezuela in 2023-24 but had to stop after sanctions were reimposed… Consistent with our approach to energy security, India remains open to exploring the commercial merits of any crude supply, including from Venezuela.”
The spokesperson underlined that India’s energy decisions are guided by national priorities rather than external pressure, stressing that securing reliable and affordable energy supplies for its population remains paramount.
“The government has stated publicly on several occasions that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of our government. Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of Indias decision were taken and will be taken with this in mind.”
Consular access to Indian sailors detained in Iran
Separately, the MEA confirmed progress on the case of 16 Indian sailors detained in Iran, stating that Indian officials had been granted consular access and had met the crew in Bandar Abbas. According to Iranian authorities, eight of the sailors have already been released and are expected to return to India.
“We’ve had consular access to the 16 sailors in Iran. Our officials in Bandar Abbas have met with them. Of those 16, eight people, according to the Iranian authorities, have been released and will be returning home. With regards to the remaining eight sailors, we are in touch with the Iranian authorities. We will see how best to support them…”
Officials said engagement with Iranian authorities is ongoing to secure the release and welfare of the remaining sailors.