Public sentiment regarding the India-US trade negotiations is largely pessimistic and skeptical, with concerns focused on the potential adverse effects on India's agriculture and local industries. Many commenters fear that American demands could undermine India's interests, particularly under Trump’s administration, indicating a desire for fair, mutually beneficial agreements that protect Indian farmers.

India

United States

Trump Administration

These bureaucrats talk a lot and do little. There is no need to announce anything until its finalised considering how fast the Trump admin changes its mind.

Adorable-Puff

I wish the Indian officials just finished things and then leak things. I am always wary of our officials using backchannels for signalling instead of just putting out a statement when they are done.

That being said.

Indians will want to take advantage of an opportunity to break through some of its own historical baggage wrt trade barriers and defence imports.

Hopefully, we also ease up on the GMO issue. For f sake, the increased productivity in the agriculture sector alone will shake most of those markets where India plays today.

Play to Trump's ego, play to Trump's minions need for market access, play to America hawks looking at Indo-Pacific primacy. All of this India can do better than playing to Biden's holier than thou attitude that always ended in an impasse on human rights issues.

RajaRajaOne

SS: India and the United States have purportedly finalised the terms of reference for talks on the first segment of a bilateral trade agreement and were ahead of other countries in negotiating with America, reported Reuters, citing an anonymous official.

The deal between the two countries, which could be finalised in the next 90 days, was described as potentially having a “win-win shape and form,” by a trade official cited by Reuters.

Donald Trump's administration had announced a 26 per cent tariff on Indian products last week, and India had not imposed any retaliatory tariffs on the country. The US President has issued a pause in the tariffs for certain countries, including India, to negotiate favourable deals that could lead to lowering of tariffs.

Mundane-Laugh8562

India should remove the tariffs on American cars, motorcycles- in reality no one will buy them because of their poor reliability. (Royal Enfield&gt;&gt;Harley &amp; Skoda/Hyundai&gt;Chevy/Gmc)

Where the competition comes will be on lentils- let Australia, Canada and US fight it out.

Negotiate on tech transfer for defense equipment- especially drone (it’s the future). F35 is insanely expensive cause it’s the whole eco system. But on the Apache Helicopters/C130 Hercules/Drones, there’s plenty of room for negotiations

hinterstoisser

I'm Indian. The problem is we have no idea what Trump will announce tomorrow, nor what he wants from us. 

The only products we might be able to import more of are defence equipment, but they are subject to sanctions and costs are usually higher than alternatives.

Dean_46

The India-Australia FTA has some remarkable terms which allow a very large amount of cross-migration between the countries. But few if any Australians are interested in migrating to India, so the flow is mostly one-way. Is America looking to sign up to something similar?

EveryConnection



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* [economictimes.indiatimes.com
                ](https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-must-be-cautious-in-trade-pact-talks-with-us-amid-legislative-risks-in-america-gtri/articleshow/119462937.cms)  

📣 **[Submission Statement by OP](/r/GeopoliticsIndia/comments/1jjd8u1/india_must_be_cautious_in_trade_pact_talks_with/mjm6941/)**:
&gt; SS from the article:
&gt;
&gt;The US Fast Track Trade Authority (also known as Trade Promotion Authority) is a special mechanism that allows the American President to negotiate trade agreements. However since 2021 this authority has lapsed and has not been renewed and without this authority, any trade agreement negotiated by the US President is exposed to Congressional scrutiny, possible amendments, delays, or outright rejection.
&gt;
&gt;Even more concerning for India is the US's post-FTA certification mechanism, a practice where America unilaterally determines whether a partner country has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement. 

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GeoIndModBot

Thank you .been barking this on this sub for months. An India USA trade deal will always be extremely skewed towards American interests, especially a Trump Indian trade deal. Modi will sign over this country if it allows Adani to go scott free..Wake up and realize what's happening..the India EU deal is far more fruitful for India because it forces us to truly reckon with the environment nightmare that is our country and try to optimize our supply chains to meet global sustainability standards and thus avoid a climate nightmare. There are some things in the EU FTA which we must stand strong on--the agriculture industry and the pharma industry but give concessions on everything else..but I can guarantee an EU India FTA will not be signed by the end of this year, instead a deeply unprofitable deal with America will proceed.. Our geopolitical blunders and short sightedness will kill us and let us miss yet another opportunity for true sustainable and equitable growth. I predict more inequality between the 1 percent adani ambani and the middle and even more with the poor..fuck this government..I hope a Democrat leaders wins in the USA and rakes BJP over the coals because that's literally our only way out from this mess .

Live_Replacement_190

The U.S. is offering India the power to choose its own tariffs in the U.S. market. That’s a deal that no other country is offering. The U.S. is offering to treat India like an equal in every way. We won’t tariff you unless you tariff us. If you tariff us a certain amount, we will tariff you for the same amount. You want to lower tariffs? We will too. You want to raise them? We will too. You want to remove them? We will too. 


What better trading partner could you ask for than one who treats you in the exact same manner you treat them?  To offer a trading partner complete control of their own tariffs is a power not given by all.

Smooth_Expression501

SS from the article:

The US Fast Track Trade Authority (also known as Trade Promotion Authority) is a special mechanism that allows the American President to negotiate trade agreements. However since 2021 this authority has lapsed and has not been renewed and without this authority, any trade agreement negotiated by the US President is exposed to Congressional scrutiny, possible amendments, delays, or outright rejection.

Even more concerning for India is the US's post-FTA certification mechanism, a practice where America unilaterally determines whether a partner country has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement.

Dear OP, the article raises two important issues that need to be resolved before there can be any significant movement towards signing of an agreement. Fortunately, these issues have been known for some time and have been the focus of several trade talks between GoI and US. Also, pertinent to note is, at present the Republicans maintain a razor thin majority in the senate, therefore there is a possibility that the congressional support for the extension the US FTTA can be managed. However, delays and time lost in negotiations due to whatever reasons, could also jeopardize this extension. Similarly, the terms of agreement must be formulated so as to minimise post agreement changes and pressures by the US as has been experienced in the past. 

There is no reason for anybody to think that there could be a competitive choice between US and EU for the FTA. India always has the freedom and choice to sign FTA with both or either depending solely on the deal offered by both the entities. I mean, thats where diplomacy, relationships, historical relations and own interest come in. Concessions have to be made from either side guided by their core self interests.

The past 10 year plus record of this govt shows that they have managed to get good deals even in unfavourable situations and therefore there is no reason to doubt that they will not do the same again.

AbhayOye

China had been preparing since 2017. Can't say same for India. But India somehow needs to take a stand.

ImpressiveNeat9039

These clowns have a lot to learn about international affairs, diplomacy and trade. 

What China did was a calculated risk that paid off. 

What India was doing is kissing ass. The sure sign of weakness and subservience.

1800skylab

Should have done it with China. It's been a bad month for Indian diplomacy.

antipositron

This wishvaguru laser eyes bubble had to burst. Good it's happening sooner then later.

Indian diplomacy has failed under Modi. All those world tours and fancy planes have been rendered worthless. One thing good about past PMs was that they took all US presidents head on. For fukc sake even MMS had balls to stand up against the US at nuclear deal times. Zeroballsmodi.

Travel__Agent007

What's the point of doing this now. When Canada. EU, Japan, Mexico, China were playing hardball you should have joined in. Meanwhile our dear leader folded even before visiting the WH. They won't take you seriously now if you try to act tough because they know you are not.

Axerin

We are too big of a market to avoid, and also we are a crucial cog when it comes to the service industry. So a deal will be worked out eventually. Trump is using his usual scare tactics. I wonder if such tactics actually work on seasoned diplomats.

Soggy_Ad_4612

in poker you can't raise after you folded

toxoplasmosix

The idiot narcissist wants to be humiliated more by the orange baboon. 


A simple rule of bargaining is that you don't start with showing how you're willing to accept the other party’s terms before starting to negotiate. Donny will make the terms worse. I guarantee it.

charavaka

Are you certain India can ever do what China does?

No-Bluebird-5708

Well OP, this was what I was saying for the last two months in the geopolitics sub. The 26% tariff might be a better deal than what they are asking in the deal. US is overhyping the possibility of a deal because of the absolute mirage of deals for them. The Chinese are taking them for a ride (the magnets are still not coming even after Mr Orange boasted about the agreement in his Truth Social).

Choice_Ad2121

Trump behaves like an American used car salesman or like a local corrupt Sethji selling masala powder. Just don't let him win. This is only one area in which our Gujarati PM will succeed.

Not-a-Prick

India is in no rush to finalise an interim trade deal with the US before the 9 July 2025 deadline and will not compromise on its core interests for the sake of expediency, according to commerce ministry sources cited by *The New Indian Express*’s Dipak Mondal. While negotiations are ongoing and Indian officials are preparing for another round of talks in Washington, the country remains firm on contentious issues such as dairy and agriculture, preferring to exclude them from the current phase if necessary. The urgency stems from Washington’s threat to impose a 26% reciprocal tariff, up from the current 10% on Indian goods, though steel and aluminium already face 50% duties, prompting India to seek redress at the WTO and threaten retaliatory tariffs. Despite President Trump’s repeated claims that a deal is imminent and India will eliminate tariffs on US goods, claims New Delhi denies, the broader geopolitical climate, including tensions in the Middle East, may further complicate talks. The US, grappling with a $41 billion trade deficit with India, is pushing for multiple-phase negotiations, while both sides eye an ad hoc arrangement to stave off tariff escalation.

New Delhi has been edging toward a trade deal with the US for years, but entrenched interests, especially in dairy and agriculture and the babu-billionaire clique, have kept climax perpetually out of reach, making the current scramble little more than performative diplomacy.

Edited to share my response in another part of the thread:

That’s just half the story political hacks like the one you’re quoting above will tell you. Trump is, at his core, a deal-maker, and what he’s chasing with India is a deal that aligns with long-term strategic interests of the United States - economic and military alike. Why do you think Doval is in Beijing for the past couple of days? Why do you think Rajnath is heading there next?

The U.S. wants India to step up as a security guarantor for its own quadrant of the Indo-Pacific. The goal is to keep the CCP from tightening its string of pearls and imposing regional hegemony. This is where U.S. and Indian interests converge sharply. But New Delhi, in its usual short-sighted bluster, is more focused on domestic narrative management than actually shaping outcomes. 

The government is scrambling for strategic wriggle room - not because it wants to shut the door on the U.S. but because it knows any serious deal will come with strings attached. A real agreement with Washington would open up Indian markets to an extent we haven't seen before. That kind of access could catalyse long-overdue economic transformation (the kind Jagdish Bhagwati envisioned), but it would also force domestic reforms that bring short-term political pain. And in an election-sensitive environment, where people in the government are already posturing as Modi's successors - that's a tough sell, even if the long-game prefers it. (In short, these people are more interested in their own personal advancement, rather than national interest.) The sticking points - dairy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals - will remain on the table, but they are negotiable, if India puts something of equal weight in return. 

We need to grow at 9-10 percent GDP if we ever want to catch up to China. This new, low-octane version of the Hindutva rate of growth simply does not cut it. Millions of people are entering the workforce every year and settling into suboptimal jobs. Youth unemployment and underemployment are rampant. Hundreds of millions are still going to sleep hungry every night. More than a third of our children under the age of five are stunted. Over a billion Indians still have no real purchasing power. That's the scale of the crisis, and it won't be solved by sloganeering, symbolism and small-bore tinkering. We need the deal with the U.S. a lot more than it needs one with us.

The reality is this: India is being choked off along the Himalayas and across the Indian Ocean Region by a string of pearls that the CCP/PLA/PLAN apparatus has created, that is both expanding and encroaching. According to reports, they are still sitting on 2,000 sq km of Indian land since the 2020 Galwan clashes. At some point, New Delhi will need to decide whether to remain in strategic limbo and risk irrelevance, or lean into convergence, through a ring of pledges to rebalance the region's power dynamics.

telephonecompany

Makes sense! Modi does not have enough political capital to reform agricultural industry and we can't expect Trump to be reasonable.

chauhan1234567

That’s because the narcissistic Eye of Sauron has turned its attention elsewhere and can’t focus on two things at once unless they’re both directly relate.

FancyyPelosi

sharedevaaste

In India bargaining is a hobby. All the aunties get an adrenaline rush from an opportunity to bargain. 

Trump is expecting to “make a deal” with the collective will of half a million aunties?

th3_pund1t

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Extreme left parties in foreign countries are unironically better for India than even the Indian-origin leaderships.

CostaBidda

**Summary:**

* **Historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Concluded:** After late-stage negotiations in London, India and the UK have finalized a comprehensive FTA alongside a Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, marking a milestone in their Strategic Partnership.

* **Key Issues Resolved:** The two sides ironed out contentious points on rules of origin, short-term professional visas, and the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism—India secured a “rebalancing mechanism” to offset any CBAM-related export losses.

* **Scope and Benefits:**

  * **Goods &amp; Services:** The agreement covers both merchandise and services, aiming to lower tariffs, expand market access, and deepen economic integration.
  * **Textiles &amp; Labour-Intensive Sectors:** Indian textiles, currently facing up to 10% UK tariffs, stand to gain significantly, improving competitiveness against rivals like Bangladesh.
  * **Services Mobility:** Easier movement and short-term visas for Indian professionals will bolster India’s growing services sector.

* **Tariff Reductions:**

  * UK to cut tariffs on Indian exports, leveling the playing field.
  * India to reduce duties on select UK imports (e.g., cars, whisky), though average Indian tariffs (14.6%) remain higher than the UK’s (4.2%).

* **Economic and Employment Impact:** The FTA is expected to boost bilateral trade, generate jobs, enhance living standards, and foster innovation and investment in both economies.

* **Next Steps:**

  * Finalization of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) alongside the FTA.
  * Preparations for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s upcoming visit to India.

* **Broader Negotiation Context:** This UK deal is the first of several FTAs India is pursuing, including talks with the US, EU, Chile, and Peru, driven by global tariff uncertainties and a desire to diversify trade ties.

Overall, the India-UK FTA represents a balanced, ambitious framework designed to deepen commercial linkages, create new opportunities for businesses, and strengthen people-to-people connections between the two countries.

Source:: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-uk-secure-historic-free-trade-agreement-also-bags-double-contribution-convention-9986182/

BROWN-MUNDA_

Ahh 
As far as I remember  UK is a new islamic state.

Splendid

Gla55_cannon

Is this a full FTA or some temporary shit?

Last I read yesterday was our ministry changed its stance on FTAs.

Weedyoot

How is this a FTA if only cars and whisky is getting their tariffs *reduced?*

circuit_brain

just_spawned_again

vaiku07

Wasn't this historic trade agreement once signed in the 1700s? 

/s

Traditional_Reality4

something-123456789

ironspidy

Is India or Indians getting anything for Free in this deal ?

Idiotsofblr

India is negotiating a 'mini trade deal' with the U.S. ahead of a looming deadline to avoid tariffs, with several contentious points including agricultural products.

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