Congress to PM: Stop ‘appeasing’ Trump, don’t sign trade deal that hurts India

With US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arriving in India for key trade talks, the Congress on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to be "bamboozled" into signing a trade deal that it said overwhelmingly favours the United States.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Prime Minister of "appeasing" US President Donald Trump and warned that the proposed trade pact could inflict significant damage on Indian farmers and domestic industries while offering little certainty in return.

Taking to X, Ramesh said there was "absolutely no need" for India to rush into an agreement that does not adequately safeguard national interests.

"PM Modi must stop appeasing his good friend President Trump. There is absolutely no need for India to be bamboozled into signing any trade agreement which, as it stands now, is heavily against India's interests," he said.

The Congress leader's remarks came as Greer began a two-day visit to New Delhi aimed at advancing discussions on the interim trade deal announced after the 6 February 2026, meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump.

According to Ramesh, the joint statement issued after that meeting envisaged the United States reducing tariffs on Indian exports from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, while India agreed to significantly lower or eliminate tariffs on several American agricultural and industrial products and boost purchases from the US to as much as USD 500 billion over five years.

However, Ramesh argued that the foundation of that agreement was shaken when the US Supreme Court ruled on 20 February that President Trump's reciprocal tariff strategy was illegal.

"The very tariff concession that the US had offered India in the 6 February joint statement effectively disappeared overnight," he claimed.

He pointed out that the US subsequently imposed a temporary 10 per cent tariff on all trading partners, including India, and that the legal basis for those tariffs is set to expire on 24 July, creating uncertainty over future trade arrangements.

Ramesh further alleged that Washington is using an ongoing investigation into the trade practices of India and nearly 60 other countries as leverage to push New Delhi into formalising the deal.

"Such an agreement is not a deal but a steal by the US," he said, warning that farmers in states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra could be adversely affected if American agricultural products gain easier access to the Indian market.

The Congress leader also questioned the reliability of any assurances from Washington, noting that countries such as Japan and members of the European Union have faced tariff threats despite having trade agreements with the United States.

"Even if a deal is signed, what guarantee is there that tariffs will not be unilaterally imposed or threatened thereafter?" he asked.

Ramesh also took a political swipe at the prime minister, referring to President Trump's repeated claims that he played a role in halting Operation Sindoor.

"President Trump has claimed over a hundred times that he halted Operation Sindoor, yet Mr Modi has not challenged that assertion," he said.

Greer's visit comes amid renewed momentum in India-US trade talks. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump held discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France last week, after which Trump said that both countries were "very close" to finalising a trade agreement.

The government has not yet responded to the Congress's criticism, but Greer's visit is expected to focus on resolving outstanding issues and paving the way for an interim trade pact between the two countries.

With PTI inputs