India-US Trade Agreement: US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday shared details of the Indo-US deal and the cordial relationship between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Leavitt claimed that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and instead buy it from the US and potentially Venezuela.
“It’s a great honor and a pleasure to see President Trump engage with leaders from around the world. As for Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) Modi, I know he particularly enjoys that relationship and has a deep respect for the Prime Minister and his country, India,” Leavitt told Fox News the day after. President Trump announced that India and the US had agreed to a trade deal under which Washington would reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent from the current 25 percent.
Trump had a phone conversation with PM Modi before making the announcement on Truth Social.
“They had a great phone call and it was very productive yesterday and they made a deal where India agreed to stop buying Russian oil and buy more American oil from the U.S. and potentially from Venezuela,” Leavitt said.
1.5 million barrels of Russian oil
There has been no official statement on the agreement yet. The available information is based on President Trump’s tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet ministers. In fact, the Indian side has made no mention of the deal except to reduce reciprocal tariffs to 18 percent. There was no word from the government on Russian oil or on US claims that US exports to India would face zero tariffs under the deal.
India imports roughly 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil every day — even months after Trump imposed punitive tariffs on Indian goods, claims Kpler, a global business data provider, cites CNN.
Russian oil accounts for more than a third India’s Total Imports.
Union Minister of Trade and Industry Piyush Goyal on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 launched a scathing attack on opposition parties, especially Congress President Rahul Gandhi, for criticizing India-US trade agreement and said the deal was in the final stages of being detailed between negotiating teams.
That’s a big plus and a huge win for American workers, businesses and consumers.
“As you know, the president and his national security team are dictating Venezuela’s trade and oil sales for the benefit of the American people. Additionally, India has agreed to invest more in the United States following President Trump’s call to action,” Levitt said.
Prime Minister Modi has pledged to buy $500 billion worth of US energy, transport and agricultural products, she said. “The U.S. tariff on India would be at 18 percent. But U.S. exports to India would face a zero percent tariff. That’s a big deal and a huge win for American workers, businesses and consumers,” Levitt said.
