The United States has revised its official factsheet outlining the “key terms” of the proposed India-US trade deal, removing the earlier reference that India would reduce or eliminate tariffs on certain pulses and modifying language related to purchase commitments.
The changes were reflected in an updated document issued by the White House, following the release of an earlier version that had described the agreement as “historic.” The revision is considered significant, particularly in the context of agricultural trade, where products such as pulses are highly sensitive for India’s farming sector.
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In the earlier factsheet released on Tuesday, the US administration had stated that India would lower or remove tariffs on a range of American industrial and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and “certain pulses.”
However, the updated factsheet no longer includes pulses in the list of products facing potential tariff reductions. The revised language now mentions tariff changes only for DDGs, red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and other unspecified products.
India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans. To safeguard domestic farmers, the country has historically maintained high import duties on these commodities, including those originating from the United States.
The omission of pulses from the revised US document indicates that India may have successfully objected to the earlier characterisation, underscoring New Delhi’s continued emphasis on protecting the interests of its agricultural sector during trade negotiations.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
