Pulses Removed from India-US Trade Deal List, US Quietly Revises Fact Sheet

New Delhi: A fresh development has emerged in the recently announced India-US trade deal, as the United States has reportedly made two significant changes to the official agreement details. The changes were made quietly through an updated fact sheet, indicating adjustments in the list of agricultural products and India’s proposed purchase commitments.

Pulses Dropped from Food and Agricultural Products List

The first major change is that the US has removed pulses (dal) from the list of food and agricultural products that were earlier mentioned as part of the trade arrangement.

Previously, pulses were included among the items expected to benefit from tariff-related concessions under the deal. However, the revised statement no longer includes dal in the agriculture product list, raising questions about whether pulses will now be excluded from tariff relaxations.

Language on $500 Billion Purchase Commitment Softened

The second major change involves the wording related to India’s proposed purchases from the United States.

Earlier, the US fact sheet stated that India “will buy” goods worth $500 billion from the US. In the revised version, the wording has been changed to indicate that India is “interested in buying” goods worth $500 billion, rather than confirming a definite purchase commitment.

This subtle shift in language suggests that the $500 billion figure may now be viewed more as a target or intention rather than a guaranteed obligation.

Updated List of Products Mentioned

According to the revised US statement, India is expected to eliminate or reduce tariffs on a wide range of industrial goods and several food and agricultural items. These include:

• Dried distillers grains
• Red sorghum
• Tree nuts
• Fresh and processed fruits
• Soybean oil
• Wine and spirits
• Other additional products

Notably, pulses are no longer included in this updated list.

India May Purchase Goods Worth Over $500 Billion

The revised fact sheet further mentions that India is looking to increase imports from the US and may purchase more than $500 billion worth of products, including:

• Energy products
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Coal
• Other industrial and commercial goods

Trade Deal Announced by Modi and Trump

The trade agreement was announced separately by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, followed by a detailed joint statement later.

Tariffs Reduced, Extra Duty on Russian Oil Removed

As part of the broader trade understanding, President Trump reportedly reduced the reciprocal tariff on India from 25% to 18%. The US also removed the additional 25% tariff that had been imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil.

Tariff Reductions to Be Phased Over 10 Years

The Indian government has stated that tariff cuts on several US agricultural and intermediate products will be implemented gradually over a period of 10 years, giving domestic industries sufficient time to adjust.

Deal Revision Sparks Fresh Debate

The quiet removal of pulses from the list and the softened language on the $500 billion purchase commitment has sparked fresh debate, as both changes could impact expectations surrounding the scale and scope of the India-US trade agreement.

The revised fact sheet indicates that while both countries are committed to expanding trade ties, the final structure of the deal may still be evolving.