New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): Senior Congress chief Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday criticised the interim framework for the India-United States commerce deal, and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not signal an settlement towards nationwide curiosity.
In an X publish, Jairam Ramesh claimed that Indian farmers might be adversely affected by the deal and warned that New Delhi might not obtain a assure towards unilaterally imposed tariffs on Indian items.
Recalling the chronology of imposition of tariffs and India-US reaching an interim settlement, the Congress chief mentioned, ‘The US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is in New Delhi as we speak and tomorrow. On the request of PM Modi, whereas he was underneath strain from @RahulGandhi’s expose in Parliament of his cowardice in entrance of China, an India-US Joint assertion on commerce was issued on February 6, 2026. The US promised to scale back tariffs on Indian exports from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. India promised to eradicate its tariffs or scale back them deeply on US agricultural commodities and industrial merchandise and buy as much as $500 billion from the US over 5 years.’
‘On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of the US dominated that President Trump’s reciprocal tariff technique was unlawful. The very tariff concession that the US had provided India within the February 6, 2026, joint assertion successfully disappeared in a single day. Within hours of the US Supreme Court ruling, the US imposed a brief 10 per cent tariff on all its buying and selling companions, together with India. The authorized foundation for this expires on July 24, 2026. There is appreciable uncertainty on what’s going to occur thereafter,’ he added.
Ramesh criticised the interim deal as India agreed to eradicate or scale back tariffs on all US industrial items and a number of other US meals and agricultural merchandise.
Ramesh posted, ‘However, India, together with about 60 different nations, is underneath investigation by the US for unfair commerce practices that supposedly violate US legal guidelines. Final outcomes from this investigation are anticipated within the coming weeks. The US is clearly utilizing this investigation as a risk to get India to formally signal the settlement as introduced on February 6, 2026. Such an settlement isn’t a deal however a steal by the US. Indian farmers in several states that embrace J&Ok, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra might be very adversely impacted. The US makes little or no agency commitments, whereas India commits to not less than trebling its current ranges of annual imports from the US.’
The Congress MP urged PM Modi to ‘cease appeasing’ US President Donald Trump.
He wrote, ‘Despite having commerce agreements with Japan and the EU, the US has threatened elevated tariffs on them. Even if a deal is signed, what and the place is the assure that tariffs is not going to be unilaterally imposed or threatened to be imposed thereafter?’
‘There is totally no want for India to be bamboozled into signing any commerce settlement which, because it stands now, is closely towards India’s pursuits. The Modi Government should search inspiration from Malaysia, which has rebuffed its personal commerce cope with the US following the US Supreme Court’s verdict. PM Modi should cease appeasing his good pal President Trump – who has claimed that he halted Operation Sindoor over a 100 occasions and is but to be challenged by Mr Modi on that declare,’ the publish learn.
India and the US reached an Interim Agreement in February 2026, the place Washington DC agreed to scale back the tariffs levied on Indian items. However, opposition leaders had criticised it as India agreed to scale back tariffs on sure US agricultural items.
Ramesh’s remarks come as United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer has travelled to New Delhi to fulfill with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, alongside different senior officers for a high-level dialogue on the bilateral commerce settlement. (ANI)