Negotiations for the India-US trade deal are in the final stages. Several rounds of talks have already taken place between the two countries, though no final approval has been stamped on this trade deal yet. Meanwhile, it was claimed on social media that India has refused to rush into any trade agreement and is waiting for a better deal. This claim was made by citing a report by the British news agency Reuters.
Reuters wrote in a post, ‘Officials and experts say that in recent talks, India has refused to rush into any trade agreement with the US and is waiting for a better deal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gaining confidence from new trade partners, decreasing economic risks, and political advantages being received within the country.’
Global News &Geopolitics wrote, claiming that India refused the trade deal with America, ‘India has declined to fast-track the trade agreement with the US and has instead decided to wait for more favourable terms.’
Fact Check:
DFRAC’s investigation found that the viral claim is misleading. Both India and the United States have rejected the Reuters report, calling it false and misleading. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, publicly refuted the report.
During our investigation, we found a post by Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Refuting the Reuters report, he wrote: “This news is completely false, baseless, and misleading. When USTR Jamieson Greer (@USTradeRep) visited Delhi in June, I had very good meetings with him. Both sides reiterated their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers concrete benefits to the businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers of both countries. Our teams are fully engaged to achieve this goal.”
During further investigation, we also found a post by Sergio Gor, the US Ambassador to India. Calling the Reuters report fake news, he wrote: “Fake News Alert! Nobody has rejected anything. Both sides had very positive meetings and reiterated their commitment to finalizing the trade deal. We remain actively engaged. Reuters – you can do better than this!”
Conclusion:
Both India and the United States have rejected Reuters’ report suggesting that India refused to fast-track the trade deal, describing it as false and misleading. Both countries clarified that the recent meetings were positive, negotiations are ongoing, and they remain committed to finalizing a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
