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The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups.
In a revised statement, the US removed a reference to pulses – a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas – and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods.
An earlier version on Monday released by the White House said India would “eliminate or reduce tariffs” on a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including certain pulses.
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India is the world’s largest consumer of pulses, accounting for more than a quarter of global demand, according to the United Nations. Farmer groups in the country – a major voting bloc – had already raised concerns about a lack of clarity on the deal and concessions offered to US farmers. Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella group of farmer associations in India, vowed to hold nationwide protests on Thursday against the trade deal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has long insisted that farmers’ interests will be protected in trade agreements, has sought to reassure the sector about the interim pact reached with the US after months of negotiations. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has repeatedly said that sensitive agricultural products such as dairy and poultry were kept out of the talks.
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“The government seems to have played its cards well, drawing a hard line on the politically sensitive agriculture sector while also giving the US a promise to deepen trade ties without any binding commitment,” said Shumita Deveshwar, chief economist at GlobalData TS Lombard.