The Congress party has strongly criticised the trade agreement announced between India and the United States, calling it an attack on national and farmers’ interests. The party alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “completely surrendered” to please US President Donald Trump. The entire opposition created an uproar in Parliament over the issue.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister had “sold the hard work, sweat, and blood of Indian farmers and the country’s interests” under the trade agreement. He claimed this was the reason he was being prevented from speaking in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi further alleged that Prime Minister Modi was under immense pressure.
When asked by reporters what kind of pressure the Prime Minister was facing, Rahul Gandhi said that the trade deal was signed under pressure arising from the Adani case and the possible disclosures in the Epstein files. He added that several details related to the Epstein files were yet to be made public by the United States.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that, like the ceasefire announcement earlier, the trade deal was also announced by President Donald Trump. He remarked that India now learns about its own government’s decisions from President Trump or his appointed representatives. According to him, the information shared by the US President makes it clear that Prime Minister Modi had fully surrendered, weakening India’s position.
Congress demanded that complete details of the trade agreements with the European Union and the United States be placed before both Houses of Parliament and debated. The party said the country has the right to know what issues were discussed and what was finally agreed upon. If India’s agriculture sector is being opened to the United States, what exactly is the deal, and how will the interests of Indian farmers be protected?
In a statement issued on 2nd February, President Donald Trump said that India would reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US products to zero percent. He also claimed that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia and increase oil imports from the United States and Venezuela.
Congress questioned what would happen to the Indian industry and the “Make in India” initiative if the market was fully opened to American goods. The party also asked whether the Modi government had agreed to abandon Russia as an energy partner.
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement that American farmers’ products would now be sold in the Indian market, bringing income to rural America. She said India’s market was extremely important for US farmers and that President Trump had delivered major benefits to them through this deal. Following her remarks, serious questions have been raised about the impact of the agreement on Indian farmers’ interests.
‘Agriculture and Dairy Interests Will Be Protected’: Piyush Goyal
Addressing a press conference, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal criticised the opposition and said it was trying to block the economic opportunities India would gain through the deal. He also criticised the opposition’s conduct in Parliament.
Goyal claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had always prioritised the agriculture and dairy sectors and that their interests would be protected under the agreement as well. However, despite listing several potential benefits of the trade deal, he did not share any concrete details about its provisions.
Awaiting Details of the Agreement
The detailed terms of the India–US trade deal have not yet been made public. The full impact will become clear only after the agreement’s provisions are disclosed. However, it is notable that even before the deal, imports from the United States into India had risen sharply.
Between January and November 2025, India’s agricultural imports from the US increased by 34.1 percent to USD 2.85 billion. During the same period, India’s agricultural exports to the US rose by only 5.1 percent to USD 5.62 billion. In 2024, India imported USD 1.1 billion worth of dry fruits such as pistachios and almonds from the US. This figure increased by 34 percent to USD 1.3 billion between January and November, 2025. year.
Concerns Over Farmers’ Interests
Fearing adverse effects on Indian farmers, the government had earlier refrained from allowing cheap imports of US agricultural products. This was one of the reasons for the delay in finalising the agreement. However, after President Donald Trump announced the deal on February 2 through Truth Social, US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described it as a major gift to American farmers and thanked President Trump for it. This has indicated that agricultural imports may be eased under the agreement.
Meanwhile, ruling NDA MPs have welcomed the deal and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.