Sitharaman, Vaishnaw Welcome India-US Trade Deal, Say It Will Benefit Citizens of Both Nations
India-US Tariff Deal Set to Boost Trade, Strengthen Strategic Partnership
New Delhi, Jan 03 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday welcomed the historic India-US trade deal, saying it will benefit the people of “two large democracies.” She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for facilitating the agreement, which reduces tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent.
Taking to X, Sitharaman wrote, “Good news for Made in India products. They will now face reduced tariffs of 18 per cent. Thanking the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for this development. Citizens of our two large democracies stand to benefit.”
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in charge of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, also hailed the trade deal. “US and India are the world’s largest democracies and natural allies. Together, we can leverage our complementary strengths to co-create technologies and develop solutions that benefit the world,” he tweeted. Vaishnaw added that the agreement will lead to a brighter future for citizens and industries in both countries.
The deal follows a phone call between PM Modi and President Trump on Monday, during which they agreed to reduce US tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, while India eased trade barriers on US products. The agreement also includes India halting Russian oil imports and increasing purchases of US energy, technology, and agricultural goods, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and supporting efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
PM Modi also expressed delight over the development, tweeting, “Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of 1.4 billion people of India.” He added that collaboration between the two “large economies” creates immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and hailed Trump’s leadership in promoting global peace and prosperity.
