MEA responds to revisions in US document on India trade deal: ‘Amendments reflect shared understanding’

India US Trade Deal

Clarifying its position on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the recent revisions in the White House factsheet on the framework for the interim India-US trade deal have no impact on the fundamental understanding shared by both countries. The ministry underlined that the joint statement continues to guide the partnership.

“As you are aware, the India-US joint statement on the framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade was issued on 7 February 2026. The joint statement is the framework and remains the basis of our mutual understanding in the matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing.

The MEA spokesperson further added that both sides will now work towards implementing this framework and finalising the interim agreement. "The amendments in the US factsheet reflect the shared understandings contained in the joint statement," he said.

The statement came in response to reports noting changes in the US document that earlier seemed at odds with the version released by the Indian side.

The White House, in its updated fact sheet released a day after the initial document, softened several key assertions regarding India's commitments on purchases, tariffs, and digital trade.

In the original version of the factsheet, it was stated, "India committed to buy more American products and purchase over USD 500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other products."

The revised factsheet now states that India "intends" to buy more American products and omits the term "agricultural" from the list of product categories.

Changes were also made in the tariff section.

The earlier document noted, "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."

The updated version removes the reference to "certain pulses" from this list.

On digital trade, the initial factsheet mentioned, "India will remove its digital services taxes" and "committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade."

The current version drops the claim that "India will remove its digital services taxes" and retains only that "India committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules."