Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday questioned the government’s portrayal of the US-India Joint Statement on tariffs, arguing that it does not amount to a Bilateral Trade Agreement and is merely a “framework for an interim agreement.”
Referring to Paragraph 2 of the joint statement, Chidambaram said the document is opaque and requires scrutiny of several US executive orders to understand Washington’s actual commitments.
He noted that the framework reflects a clear asymmetry in obligations, heavily favouring the United States.
According to Chidambaram, India has agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of agricultural products, while US tariffs of up to 18 per cent on Indian goods would continue. These tariffs, he said, affect sectors such as textiles, leather and organic chemicals.
He added that US duties on steel, aluminium and copper, along with the ongoing Section 232 investigation, would remain in force.
Questioning the celebratory tone adopted by the government, Chidambaram asked how such a framework could be projected as a diplomatic success.
