Donald Trump Hails India-US Trade Agreement as ‘Historic Deal’
Interim agreement lowers US duties on Indian goods after months of negotiations
Washington, D.C., Feb 12 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday described the newly concluded India-US trade agreement as a “historic” step, highlighting its potential to significantly expand American coal exports while strengthening bilateral economic ties.
Speaking at a press briefing, Trump underscored the United States’ growing energy capacity. “America is now the number one energy producer in the world… We’re becoming a massive energy exporter. In the past few months, we’ve made historic trade deals with Japan, Korea, India, and others to increase our coal exports dramatically,” he said, adding that US coal is among the finest globally.
His remarks follow the release of a Washington fact sheet detailing the “path forward” for the agreement. The interim pact was finalised last week after nearly a year of negotiations that began in February 2025, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump approving the framework during a telephone conversation.
Under the arrangement, India will benefit from a reduction in US import duties from 50% to 18% on several export categories, including textiles and garments, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home décor, handicrafts, and select machinery.
The deal comes after multiple rounds of talks aimed at resolving trade frictions that intensified when the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Indian imports. Washington had justified the move by alleging that India’s energy purchases were indirectly supporting Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
