‘Not a win-win deal’: Shiv Sena(UBT) raises concerns over India-US trade agreement

New Delhi: Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday offered a cautious assessment of the recently announced India-United States trade agreement, stating that while the deal marks a historic moment for the US, it may not be entirely beneficial for India in its present form.

Reacting to the announcement, Chaturvedi said the agreement appeared to significantly favour the US, especially in terms of access to the Indian market.

Speaking to IANS, she remarked, “From India, except tariffs coming down, there’s in this deal no other leverage, as of now it doesn’t look like a win-win deal, in fact US got major freeway to India’s market.”

Elaborating on the details emerging from statements by US President Donald Trump, the Rajya Sabha MP said that key aspects of the deal were yet to be officially communicated in India.

She said, “This is a historic deal for the US. The announcement from President Trump highlights several important points, although the full details are not yet public in our country. From his tweets, it is clear that the tariffs on Indian goods, which were previously 50 per cent, have been reduced to 18 per cent. Additionally, non-tariff barriers for Indian products have been removed, effectively giving Indian goods greater access to the US market.”

Chaturvedi further referred to additional claims made by the US President in his social media posts. “He also said that India did not buy Russian oil. I am saying this from his tweet. A peace deal was signed, and a hustle was also in US interest. They are also saying that in the agriculture sector and coal sector, India will open its market,” she added.

Her remarks come amid strong endorsements of the trade agreement from the ruling BJP, which has described the deal as a historic achievement under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. However, opposition leaders have called for greater transparency.

India and the United States reached a trade deal on Monday following a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Under the agreement, the US reduced tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent, while India agreed to ease certain trade barriers on American products.

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the development, stating that reduced tariffs on ‘Made in India’ products would open new global opportunities and strengthen bilateral cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies.

IANS