Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday strongly rejected a media report claiming that India had turned down trade negotiations with the United States, calling it “completely false, baseless and misleading.”Responding to the report, Goyal said he had held “fantastic meetings” with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during the latter’s visit to New Delhi in June.
“This news is completely false, baseless and misleading. I had fantastic meetings with USTR Jamieson Greer when he visited Delhi in June. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers and consumers in both countries. Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective,” Goyal said.
Trade talks progressing despite parallel US probesAddressing reporters separately, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said negotiations on the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement continue to make steady progress, even as Washington pursues separate investigations into issues such as forced labour and excess industrial capacity.He said discussions on a framework agreement were progressing well and noted that developments following the US tariff announcements earlier this year were beyond the control of either country.”When both sides are saying the deals are final, signing will happen at the right opportunity,” Agrawal said, adding that India and the US have a common understanding of each other’s expectations and “don’t see any challenges.”
On the ongoing Section 301 investigations by the US Trade Representative, Agrawal said the forced labour probe is at an advanced stage, with both the government and industry participating in consultations. He expects the report on the investigation to be released later this month.The draft report on the excess capacity investigation is yet to be issued, he said, adding that it could take another four to eight weeks after the draft is published before a final outcome is reached.Also Read: India’s June trade deficit widens to $30.4 billion on higher crude, gold importsAgrawal said India is closely monitoring both investigations but stressed that all aspects of bilateral trade relations would be addressed through the proposed trade agreement.He also noted that India is increasing energy imports from the US as part of efforts to diversify its sourcing basket, while reiterating that trade agreements are ultimately built around comparative advantages and mutually beneficial market access.Commenting on the possibility of additional US tariffs after July 24 in the absence of a trade deal, Agrawal said there are already Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates in place, while the proposed additional duties are linked to what the US considers unfair trade practices. He added that questions regarding the future course of US tariff actions would be best addressed by the American authorities themselves.Separately, Ambassador Sergio Gor also rejected the Reuters report, calling it “fake news” in a post on X.”Fake news alert! No one has rejected anything. Both sides had very constructive meetings and reaffirmed their commitment to finalising a trade deal. We continue to stay actively engaged. Reuters – you can do better!” Gor wrote.Fake news alert! No one has rejected anything. Both sides had very constructive meetings and reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing a trade deal. We continue to stay actively engaged.Reuters – you can do better! https://t.co/7LARDhhtCg— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) July 13, 2026
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