White House revises India trade deal fact sheet; drops pulses, softens $500 billion purchase to 'intends'

India US trade deal is likely to be signed in March, latest reports say.

The White House has revised its Fact Sheet on the India-US trade deal, dropping the reference to pulses and changing the wording around India's proposed $500 billion purchase from a firm "commitment" to an "intent."

The changes are significant given the sensitivity of agricultural imports, particularly pulses, for India's farm sector.

On Tuesday, the White House fact sheet had explicitly mentioned "certain pulses" among the products for which India would reduce or eliminate tariffs.

"India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products," stated the earlier version of the Fact Sheet.

The revised paragraph makes no reference to pulses. Instead, it states: "India intends to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of U.S. energy, information and communication technology, coal, and other products," it reads.

The White House had released "The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal" fact sheet on February 9.

While the reference of the pulses has been dropped, the rest of the wordings around the ‘agricultural products’ remain the same. “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of U.S. food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products,” the latest fact sheet says.

India's pulses trade in numbers

India's pulses import bill surged 46 per cent to $5.48 billion in FY2024-25, up from $3.75 billion in FY2023-24. Despite the sharp rise in overall imports, the United States accounted for only $89.65 million of the total outlay in 2024-25.

During the last fiscal year, India imported lentils worth $78 million from the US - a relatively small share - with Canada ($466 million) and Australia ($328 million) ranking ahead as the top two suppliers.

In value terms, pigeon peas topped India's pulses imports at $1,285.40 million in FY2024-25, followed by Bengal gram at $1,116.64 million, yellow peas at $960.58 million, and lentils at $916.03 million.

On the policy front, imports of tur (pigeon peas) and urad continue to be allowed duty-free until March 31, 2026. However, yellow pea imports have attracted a 30 per cent duty since November 1, 2025. Lentils - the primary pulse imported from the US - are currently subject to a 10 per cent import duty.