New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday asserted that India had “successfully protected” its sensitive sectors, especially agriculture and dairy, during negotiations on the India–United States trade deal, as he briefed the Lok Sabha amid sustained Opposition protests.
“India has been successful in protecting the agricultural and dairy sectors,” Goyal said, responding to concerns over the impact of the agreement announced earlier this week by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Making his statement in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said the agreement was the outcome of nearly a year of detailed discussions between negotiators from both sides and had been structured to balance the core interests of India and the US “keeping the important interests of both sides in mind".
"It is natural that each side would want to safeguard its sensitive areas and ensure the best possible outcomes,” he said.
The minister said a key outcome of the deal was a sharp reduction in US tariffs on Indian goods. “US tariffs imposed on Indian products will be reduced to 18 per cent from 50 per cent,” he told the House, adding that this would place India among the countries facing the lowest tariff rates compared to its competitors in the American market.
According to Goyal, the tariff cuts would help boost Indian exports and strengthen domestic industry, while aligning with the government’s Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat goals. “This trade agreement will help promote economic growth and benefit Indian industries,” he said.
Elaborating on the negotiations, Goyal said talks had been held at multiple levels over the past year. “With a year of discussions, the two sides succeeded in giving final shape to various sectors of the bilateral trade agreement,” he said, underlining that India’s negotiating team had prioritised domestic sensitivities.
He added that both governments were now working to complete the remaining technical processes related to the agreement.
Goyal’s address came amid sloganeering by the Opposition members, who protested over disallowing the Leader of Opposition opportunity to speak in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The dispute stemmed from a controversy over Gandhi quoting excerpts from an article citing former Army chief M M Naravane’s unpublished memoir on the 2020 India–China conflict.
Despite the disruptions, the minister continued his statement, maintaining that the India–US trade deal marked an important step forward in bilateral economic relations, while ensuring that India’s core and sensitive sectors remained protected. UNI SKA KK