Congress demands disclosure of India–US trade deal, warns of burden on farmers

The Congress on February 4 demanded that the Centre make public the details of the India–US trade deal, warning that farmers must be clearly informed about the potential impact on their livelihoods. 

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi said the agreement could impose a significant burden on the farming community if sensitive interests are compromised.

Speaking to ANI in Guwahati after the launch of the “whoishbs” website, Gogoi said transparency was essential so that Indian farmers could understand the “potential impact” of the trade deal. “The details should be out. What has India sacrificed? The farmers of India want to know how much burden they are going to take because of this trade deal,” he said.

Gogoi’s remarks came just a week after India signed a landmark trade agreement with the European Union. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington, described the discussions as “wonderful” and expressed optimism that Indian products would gain greater access to the American market.

Earlier on Wednesday, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal assured Parliament that India had successfully negotiated the interests of the agriculture and dairy sectors in the trade deal with the United States. According to official statements, the agreement includes a reduction of tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent, while US products could see tariff reductions to zero on certain agricultural, coal and other items.

The agreement was triggered after the US imposed retaliatory tariffs of up to 18 per cent on Indian goods, prompting negotiations to ease trade tensions. Responding to concerns raised in Parliament, Goyal told the Lok Sabha that the deal was the outcome of nearly two years of discussions and that adequate safeguards had been ensured to protect sensitive sectors of the Indian economy.