US Changes India Trade Deal Statement, Sparking Confusion

Shruti Srivastava and Pratik Parija

Wed, February 11, 2026 at 5:22 PM GMT+9 4 min read

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) – The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups.

In a revised statement, the US removed a reference to pulses — a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas — and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods.

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An earlier version on Monday released by the White House said India would “eliminate or reduce tariffs” on a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including certain pulses.

Source: Bloomberg

India is the world’s largest consumer of pulses, accounting for more than a quarter of global demand, according to the United Nations. Farmer groups in the country — a major voting bloc — had already raised concerns about a lack of clarity on the deal and concessions offered to US farmers. Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella group of farmer associations in India, vowed to hold nationwide protests on Thursday against the trade deal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has long insisted that farmers’ interests will be protected in trade agreements, has sought to reassure the sector about the interim pact reached with the US after months of negotiations. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has repeatedly said that sensitive agricultural products such as dairy and poultry were kept out of the talks.

“The government seems to have played its cards well, drawing a hard line on the politically sensitive agriculture sector while also giving the US a promise to deepen trade ties without any binding commitment,” said Shumita Deveshwar, chief economist at GlobalData.TS Lombard.

Tariff Cuts

President Donald Trump announced the trade deal last week after a call with Modi, agreeing to cut reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 25%. He also scrapped a 25% punitive duty imposed on India for buying Russian oil, saying Modi had agreed to halt those crude purchases.

Opposition groups have bashed the deal, saying Modi had given too many concessions to the US and allowed Trump to dictate key economic decisions, like where India can source its oil.

Analysts have said the benefits to India from the trade deal are mixed. India’s tariff rate is slightly lower than other Asian peers like Vietnam and Malaysia, benefiting manufacturers in labor-intensive industries like clothing and furniture. However, increased competition is expected to hurt some industries, like wine, while India’s agreement to buy $500 billion of American goods appeared onerous.

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The trade deal came after months of acrimony from both sides. Although Trump has called Modi his friend, he’s criticized India for its high trade barriers and ties with Russia. Relations took a dive after Trump claimed credit for securing a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day armed conflict in May last year, assertions that Modi and his top officials have vehemently rejected. Trump again repeated his claim on Tuesday, saying he used tariffs to prevent a potential nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

Staple Food

Lentils, chickpeas, black gram and pigeon pea are a staple food for India’s 1.4 billion population, providing a primary source of protein in their diet. To bridge the gap between domestic output and demand, India sources supplies from overseas markets, notably Canada, Australia and Myanmar.

In its revised fact sheet, the White House also dropped a reference to India buying agricultural goods as part of its $500 billion purchase plan. On Monday, the White House said India had “committed” to purchase American energy, information and communication technology, coal and agricultural products. The revised document says India “intends to” make those purchases, dropping the reference to agricultural goods.

The White House press office didn’t immediately respond to an email sent outside of business hours. India’s Ministry of Commerce also didn’t respond to an email seeking clarification.

Officials in New Delhi had previously maintained that the government had only expressed an intention to increase purchases of US goods and that no binding commitment had been made.

The updated fact sheet also removed a reference that India will scrap digital services taxes, and now only says that the Asian nation is “committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules.” The White House also removed a reference to “rules that prohibit the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions.”

A joint statement on the trade deal was published late last week outlining some of the details, followed by the fact sheet on Monday. Both sides are now working toward a detailed agreement to be signed by March.

–With assistance from Shinjini Datta.

(Update with comments from Trump)

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