New Delhi – The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that the revisions made to the White House factsheet on the proposed India-US trade agreement reflect the mutual understanding reached by both nations in their joint statement.
During the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India and the United States had earlier agreed on a joint statement outlining the framework for an interim agreement focused on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.
“The joint statement, issued on February 7, 2026, remains the foundation of our mutual understanding. Both countries will now work towards implementing the framework and finalising the interim agreement,” he said.
The United States has updated its factsheet on the trade agreement, modifying several key provisions to better align with India’s position. The revised document has been uploaded on the official White House website.
One significant change includes the removal of “pulses” from the list of American products on which India was expected to reduce or eliminate tariffs. The revised factsheet now states that India will lower or remove tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and a broad range of agricultural products such as dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine, spirits, and other items.
India’s agriculture chapter of the trade framework clearly states that pulses remain fully protected under the exemption category as they are considered a highly sensitive sector.
Another major revision relates to India’s proposed purchases from the United States. The updated factsheet states that India “intends” to increase imports of American products, including energy, information and communication technology, coal, and other goods, potentially exceeding $500 billion. The earlier version had suggested that India “will purchase” products worth this amount, indicating a binding commitment.
The revised document has also removed the earlier reference to India eliminating its digital services tax. Previously, the factsheet had stated that India would remove the tax and negotiate comprehensive bilateral digital trade rules, including provisions against customs duties on electronic transmissions.
The updated version now states only that India has agreed to negotiate strong bilateral digital trade rules to address discriminatory practices and trade barriers in the digital sector.
The Narendra Modi government has consistently maintained that India’s farmers’ interests would be protected in any trade agreement. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has repeatedly emphasised that sensitive agricultural sectors, including dairy and poultry, have been kept outside the scope of the negotiations.
With inputs from IANS