India-US Trade Agreement: A Smart Negotiation or a Surrender?

Pakistani analyst Najam Sethi called the India-US interim trade agreement “a negotiation". “It is not a surrender. It is a negotiation. These decisions don’t happen overnight. The negotiations must have gone on for months. PM Modi was quiet throughout," said Sethi. “It is not zero tariff on all items…It includes items that are no threat to Indian industries," he said The analyst said PM Modi negotiated smartly while the Indian opposition is creating unnecessary fuss. Sethi said that India’s zero-tariff concessions apply only to a small, specific list of US items such as certain wines, cosmetics, soybean oil, tree nuts, and processed fruits, not a broad flood of goods These reductions cover very few products and won’t significantly hurt domestic sectors or undermine Make in India, as the deal protects sensitive areas like dairy, grains, and key agriculture, he said. Many in Pakistan, including analysts like Sethi, see this as a smart bargain by Modi and India gains better access without losing much, making the opposition’s noise seem unnecessary and politically motivated. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday underlined the government’s commitment to farmers while concluding the framework of the bilateral trade agreement with the US. In his statement, the Minister said that dairy, fruits, vegetables, spices, and other grains have been protected in the India-US trade deal to safeguard the interests of domestic farmers. In a post on X, Piyush Goyal said the trade deal will mark a powerful step forward in the direction of a self-reliant India. “Farmers Safe, Country Developed… In the India-US trade agreement, dairy, fruits, vegetables, spices, and other grains have been protected. This will safeguard the interests of domestic farmers, strengthen local agriculture through preferential access to such a large market, and mark another powerful step forward in the direction of a self-reliant India," he said. “India is not losing anything in trade deal and even Pakistani voices have openly admitted that India lost nothing but only the Indian opposition spreading fear. Domestic political outrage is not linked from actual economic impact and the opposition is creating anxiety unnecessarily," said Indian government sources. Pakistani commentators see continuity in India’s trade posture and they also feel it was India’s calculated move without losing anything.