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White House revises India trade deal fact sheet; drops ‘pulses’ from tariff list
The revised document also softens India’s USD 500 billion purchase pledge from a 'commitment' to an 'intent' while omitting mentions of digital services taxes
In a revised fact sheet issued on the US-India trade deal, the White House has dropped “pulses” from a list of American products on which it said India will eliminate or reduce tariffs.
On Monday, the White House had issued a fact sheet on ‘The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal (Interim Agreement),’ days after India and the US announced in a joint statement the framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.
An initial version of the fact sheet had highlighted key terms of the agreement including, that 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, red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, “certain pulses”, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.
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The fact sheet had also said that 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.
Pulses removed
The revised fact sheet issued on Tuesday removed the reference made regarding pulses and changed the word committed used for India to “intends.”
“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, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.
“India intends to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, coal, and other products,” the revised fact sheet said.
The joint statement issued last week on the trade deal had made no mention of “pulses” in items on which India will eliminate or reduce tariffs for American products.
Also read: Trade boost or strategic retreat? India-US deal beyond the rhetoric
It had also maintained that “India intends to purchase $500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next 5 years.”
(With inputs from agencies)