White House touts unsigned India deal among Trump’s achievements

The White House has listed an “improved” trade agreement with India among US President Donald Trump’s achievements, although New Delhi and Washington are still negotiating to finalize the pact first outlined in February.

New Delhi has held off on the deal, while seeking greater tariff certainty and preferential market access for its exporters and vowing to shield its sensitive agricultural sector.

The claim appeared on a list the White House released ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, among 127 promises that it touted Trump as having fulfilled during his second term. It also comes just two weeks after Trump himself described the deal as “pretty close” – not as finalized.

The claim, under the heading “Igniting a Blue-Collar Boom and Restoring Fair Trade,” said Trump had “secured new and improved trade agreements,” which cover more than half the global GDP, with major trading partners including India, the EU, Japan, and China.

The reference to India links to a February 9 fact sheet titled “The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal.” The document only says the countries would work toward finalizing an interim agreement. A joint statement days earlier had only proposed reducing US reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, and India lowering duties on American industrial goods and selected agricultural products.

Later that month, the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs, and Washington slapped an additional 10% duty on covered Indian imports under Section 301 of the US trade law.

Around 55% of India’s exports to the US are subject to the additional levy, while products including generic pharmaceuticals and smartphones remain exempt, according to India’s Commerce Ministry.

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said last month that the first phase of the agreement had been finalized at the negotiating level but was still undergoing legal drafting.