The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday responded to the recent changes made by the American side regarding the India-US trade deal, where they first mentioned “certain pulses” in the White House factsheet and later it silently remove.
MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, during a weekly press briefing, underscored that the changes in the latest White House fact sheet reflect the mutual understanding of both countries.
“India and the US had agreed to a joint statement on the framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. This was issued on 7th February 2026,” Jaiswal said in a presser in New Delhi.
“The joint statement is the framework and remains the basis of our mutual understanding in this matter. Both sides will now work towards implementing this framework and finalising the interim agreement. The amendments in the US factsheet reflect the shared understandings contained in the joint statement,” he added.
Why led to massive uproar in India?
On Monday, the White House had issued a fact sheet on 'The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal (Interim Agreement),' days after India and the US announced in a joint statement the framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.
An initial version of the fact sheet had highlighted key terms of the agreement including, that India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains, red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, "certain pulses", soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.
The fact sheet had also said that India committed to buy more American products and purchase over USD 500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other products.
The revised fact sheet issued Tuesday removed the reference made regarding pulses and changed the word committed used for India to "intends."
"India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.
"India intends to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, coal, and other products," the revised fact sheet said.
No mention of pulses in last week statement
The joint statement issued last week on the trade deal had made no mention of "pulses" in items on which India will eliminate or reduce tariffs for American products. The joint statement had also maintained that "India intends to purchase $500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next 5 years."
(With inputs from agency)