Congress urges Centre not to rush to sign trade pact with the U.S.

The Congress on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) urged the Union government not to be “bamboozled” into signing a trade agreement with the United States, arguing that the proposed deal in its current form was tilted against India’s interests.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop “appeasing” U.S. President Donald Trump and resist the pressure to conclude an agreement during the visit of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to New Delhi. The deal could adversely affect farmers and domestic industry, he said.

Mr. Ramesh referred to the India-U.S. joint statement issued on February 6, 2026, in which the U.S. had proposed reduction of tariffs on Indian exportswhile India was expected to substantially lower tariffs on American agricultural and industrial products and increase purchases from the U.S.

He said that the understanding had been undermined by a subsequent ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court which found President Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy to be illegal.

Mr. Ramesh stated that the tariff concessions promised by the U.S. effectively became uncertain after the court ruling, and Washington later imposed a temporary 10% tariff on imports from trading partners, including India.

Stating that India was among the countries being investigated by the U.S. for alleged unfair trade practices, Mr. Ramesh alleged that Washington was using the probe to pressure New Delhi into formalising the proposed agreement.

“Such an agreement is not a deal but a steal by the U.S.,” he said, adding that farmers in States such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra could be adversely affected.

“There is absolutely no need for India to be bamboozled into signing any trade agreement which, as it stands now, is heavily against India’s interests,” Mr. Ramesh said.