NEW DELHI: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday dismissed concerns among farmer groups over the proposed first-phase trade agreement with the United States, assuring that the deal will not harm the interests of Indian farmers or other stakeholders.
Speaking at an event in Delhi, Goyal said the agreement would give India a strong comparative advantage. “The people of this country will celebrate once the details of the agreement come out,” he said. “I can say with confidence that we have not compromised on even a single point concerning the interests of our farmers or other stakeholders.”
India and the United States unveiled a preliminary framework for the deal in February 2026. Under it, Washington will reduce import duties on most Indian goods, including some tariffs that stood as high as 50 percent. In return, India has agreed to lower barriers and tariffs on certain American industrial goods and on agricultural products such as almonds, walnuts, fruits, vegetables and wine. The full details of the agreement have yet to be finalized.
Farmer organizations, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, have voiced serious concern over the deal. They fear that lower duties on U.S. products such as maize, almonds, apples and soybean oil could flood domestic markets with cheaper, subsidy-backed imports. This, they allege, would depress prices for local farmers and hurt their incomes.
Responding to the concerns, Goyal said all safeguards had been put in place to protect sensitive agricultural sectors, and that the picture would become clear to everyone once the details of the agreement are made public.