Within 24 hours of announcing what was called a “historic” interim trade agreement between the United States and India, the White House issued significant revisions to its official factsheet. The edits, made on February 10, remove several specific commitments originally linked to India. This suggested possible tension or ongoing talks behind the scenes.
The changes seem to roll back important agricultural and digital trade terms from the initial document released on February 9.
Agricultural omissions: The ‘pulses’ withdrawal
One of the most notable changes is the removal of “certain pulses” from the list of American agricultural products marked for tariff reduction.
Original text: India agreed to reduce tariffs on a wide range of goods, including “dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits.”
Revised text: The mention of “certain pulses” has been completely deleted.
Pulses are a sensitive commodity in India, which is the world’s largest producer and consumer. Analysts suggested this omission follows a strong stance taken by New Delhi to safeguard local farmers.
Softening language: From ‘commitment’ to ‘intention’
The White House has also notably changed its tone regarding India’s $500 billion purchasing plan.
Original text: Stated that India “committed” to purchasing $500 billion of U.S. energy, aircraft, and technology products over the next five years.
Revised text: The wording has been softened to say that India “intends” to make these purchases.
This shift from a binding “commitment” to a non-binding “intention” aligns the factsheet more closely with the joint statement issued on February 7. Many viewed that statement as a framework for future discussions rather than a finalised agreement.
Digital services tax: Claims vanish
The revised document has removed a clear claim regarding India’s digital taxation policy.
Initial claim: The White House originally stated that India would “remove its digital services taxes.”
Current status: This entire sentence has been removed.
While India had already phased out its 6% equalisation levy on digital advertising as of April 1, 2025, it still has “Significant Economic Presence” (SEP) rules that tax nonresident digital firms. The deletion indicates that eliminating such taxes remains a significant point of tension in the broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations.
What remains in the deal?
Despite the edits, the core of the interim agreement still focuses on mutual tariff adjustments.
Industrial goods: India will still reduce or eliminate tariffs on most U.S. industrial products.
Tech cooperation: Both nations plan to significantly boost trade in Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and data center technology.
Reciprocal tariffs: The U.S. has lowered its reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25% to 18% in return for India’s move away from Russian oil.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
