India US Trade Deal

India's AI ambitions demand a rethink of the India-US tax treaty to clarify taxation of cloud services, AI subscriptions and cross-border digital revenues

The government on Thursday said no concessions or commitments relating to the import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US have been made in the India-US trade pact discussions. India's fuel blending programme and ethanol procurement continue to be governed solely by the country's domestic policy requirements, the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement. It said that recent claims in the media suggesting that India is importing and intends to import large quantities of ethanol from the US for fuel blending are baseless and factually incorrect. As per the domestic policy framework, it said, ethanol used for fuel blending under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol Programme is sourced entirely from domestic producers. There is no import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US, it added. "No concessions or commitments relating to the import of ethanol for fuel blending from the U.S. have been made in the India-US trade discussions. Accordingly, any suggestion of a policy ch

Experts say fresh US tariffs imposed under Section 301 could face legal challenges, potentially dealing another setback to President Donald Trump's trade strategy

From US tariffs and exam reforms to welfare, governance and democracy, today's editorials examine how institutions earn public trust by adapting under pressure

The commerce ministry said negotiations with the US helped place India in the lower tier of additional tariffs, with exemptions covering about 45 per cent of exports

The Centre said 45% of India's exports to the US remain outside the new 10% Section 301 duty. India was placed in the lower tariff tier after USTR cut the proposed levy from 12.5%

The United States has imposed a 10 per cent tariff on goods imported from India and 16 other countries as part of its efforts to combat the use of forced labour in the production of such items. Last month, when the US had proposed tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act, India was bracketed among countries attracting 12.5 per cent levies, but Washington took note of the amendment New Delhi made to its foreign trade policy prohibiting the import of goods produced using forced labour. "As a result of these actions, the Trade Representative has advised me that the goods of these economies should be tariffed at the 10 per cent rate to further encourage these economies to effectively enforce such prohibitions," US President Donald Trump said in a memorandum on the issue on Thursday. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the new tariffs on 60 countries under Section 301 of the Trade Act on Thursday, a day before the expiration of 10 per cent additional levies on all ...

Goods from some 10 trading partners deemed to have adopted forced-labor restrictions will be subject to 10% tariffs, including India, Mexico, the UK and Canada

EAM calls for fair market access in talks with Wang Yi; conveys to Lavrov concerns over safety of Indian sailors

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced nationwide protests on Wednesday against the proposed India-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and other trade pacts, and written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to intervene to stop the Centre from signing the agreements. In an open letter to the president, the farmers' body has urged her to "instruct Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to sign the India-US Free Trade Agreement, repeal all signed FTAs and ensure discussion in Parliament" on their impact on the country's economy, self-reliance and sovereignty. "The FTAs, negotiated in secrecy and under corporate pressure, are a profound betrayal of India's national interest.... A blueprint for economic colonisation," the SKM has said in the letter, claiming that the agreements would devastate crores of small and marginal farmers and adversely affect the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. The organisation has claimed that the proposed trade deals would allow subsidised ...

A proposed US Bill targeting buyers of Russian oil could disrupt India's energy security and trade, even as West Asia tensions threaten global oil supplies

Punjab farmers protest against the proposed India-US trade deal, warning that lower import duties could hurt agriculture, dairy and rural livelihoods

India has achieved 20% ethanol blending and boosted domestic output, yet continues to rely on US imports, keeping its ethanol trade deficit elevated

India expects lower US tariffs after aligning forced labour import rules with global standards amid ongoing Section 301 trade investigations

The revised US Senate bill cuts tariffs on buyers of Russian oil-India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan-from 500% to 100%, while expanding sanctions on Russia

The Indian government on Tuesday issued a notification to ban the import of goods made using forced labour, aligning with global labour standards

Fully engaged with Washington for a balanced deal, says Piyush Goyal

Negotiations for a trade agreement between India and the US are progressing well, and the framework deal is ready which will be signed at the right time, an official said on Monday. The official said that India is seeking a comparative advantage on the tariff front in the agreement vis-a-vis its competitor nations. "There was a very good discussion (with the US team). The framework deal is ready...whenever there is right time, it will be signed. We are negotiating a framework deal and a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), and both things are progressing well," the official said. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last month held bilateral talks on issues related to the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement here. Trade deals are all about preferential market access or comparative advantage. "So that is something which is getting structured, whenever it is ready, things will be signed. But we are on a safe way, our understandin

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said India and the US teams are fully engaged for a trade pact that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers. He said that he had a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer here last month. "Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries. Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective," Goyal said in a social media post.

India has asserted that trade issues with the US should be resolved through bilateral trade negotiations rather than unilateral measures, urging the USTR to reconsider its proposed 12.5 per cent tariff, citing inconsistencies in its Section 301 investigation into forced labour concerns. Participating in the public hearing, Joint Secretary in Department of Commerce Brij Mohan Mishra submitted that in light of India's genuine engagement on forced labour issues, it strongly expresses its concerns at the USTR's (US Trade Representative) determination. India takes the elimination of forced labour seriously as a constitutional obligation, and as a matter of international law and principle. "India would like to highlight its concerns with the USTR's report and findings against India," he said. The USTR has not satisfied the relevant legal standards under Section 301(d) of the Trade Act. A mere absence of a forced labour import prohibition without evidentiary basis of other statutory ...