The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday clarified that the recent revisions made in the White House information sheet on the India-US Interim Trade Agreement do not change the basic understanding between the two countries.
Responding to questions about the changes made to the agreement information sheet, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the joint statement on their interim agreement remains the main basis of mutual understanding between the two countries.
“The joint statement is the framework and remains the basis of our mutual understanding on this matter. Both sides will now work to implement the framework and finalize the interim agreement,” Jaiswal said during a weekly press conference.
He further added that “the additions in the US Fact Sheet reflect the shared understandings contained in the Joint Statement”.
What revisions have been made to the fact sheet in the US?
The clarification comes after reports emerged that the US amended its fact sheet on the newly announced trade framework with India within 24 hours of its release. The White House has reportedly removed or softened several key references related to access to agriculture, digital taxation and large-scale US exports, Mint reported earlier.
The updated version of the “Historic Trade Deal” fact sheet retained the overall structure of the Interim Reciprocal Trade Framework announced by US President Donald Trump following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The original version of the fact sheet said: “India has committed to buying more US products and buying more than $500 billion in US energy, information and communication technology, agriculture, coal and other products.”
However, the revised information sheet now states that India “intends” to buy more US products and drops the term “agricultural” from the list of product categories, according to ANI.
There were also changes in the tariff section. An earlier document said, “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US manufactured goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including distillers’ dried grains (DDG), red sorghum, nuts, fresh and processed fruits, some pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and other products.”
Meanwhile, the updated version removes the reference to “certain impulses” from that list.
All about the interim trade agreement
The United States and India have agreed on a basic framework for a mutually beneficial interim trade deal and reaffirmed their commitment to work on a broader bilateral trade agreement (BTA) launched by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025.
As part of the trade deal, India is set to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial exports and a wide range of US agricultural and food products.
Meanwhile, the United States agreed to impose a reciprocal tariff of 18% on goods originating in India, including textiles and clothing, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home accessories, handicrafts and some machinery. Earlier, Washington imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which included a 25% duty as a penalty for buying Russian oil.