New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday called on the Union government to make public the full details of the recently announced India–US trade understanding, questioning several claims made by US President Donald Trump, including those related to agriculture, tariff reductions and India’s future energy purchases.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, the Opposition party first took issue with how the announcement was communicated, noting that information about the deal emerged from Washington rather than through official channels in India. The party said this raised concerns about transparency and parliamentary accountability.
Referring to President Trump’s statements, the Congress said the claim that India would reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers for American goods to zero could have serious implications for domestic producers. It argued that fully opening Indian markets would affect local industries, traders and farmers, and sought clarity on safeguards, particularly in the agriculture sector.
“The statement speaks of opening agriculture to the United States. How has the government ensured the protection and security of Indian farmers?” the party asked, adding that citizens had the right to know the exact terms being discussed.
The Congress also questioned assertions that India had agreed to halt purchases of discounted Russian crude oil and instead increase imports from the United States and Venezuela. It asked whether New Delhi had formally accepted such conditions and what impact this would have on India’s energy security and pricing.
Raising another point, the party queried how a significant increase in imports from the US aligned with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which aims to boost domestic manufacturing.
“India deserves complete transparency on this trade arrangement. The government must place all facts before Parliament and take the nation into confidence,” the Congress said.
The political reaction followed President Trump’s announcement after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he said the two sides had agreed to a trade deal that would see the US lower reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. Trump also claimed India would move to eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American products and stop buying Russian oil.
Prime Minister Modi later acknowledged the conversation on X, describing Trump as a close friend and welcoming the reduction in US tariffs on Indian exports.
Separately, a White House official told ANI that Washington would also withdraw an additional 25 per cent levy imposed earlier on Indian imports linked to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude. The official added that the understanding involved India completely ending, not merely scaling down, such oil purchases.
There has been no detailed statement so far from the Indian government outlining the scope or status of the negotiations, even as the issue triggers debate across political circles.
