We don’t do deals with a gun on our head: India refuses to rush trade deal with US, says Piyush Goyal at Berlin event
His comments come as India and the US continue negotiations to revive a long-pending trade pact aimed at reducing high American tariffs on Indian goods
PTC Web Desk: Union Minister Piyush Goyal has made it clear that India will not be pressured into signing a trade deal with the United States. Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal said India was open to talks but would not accept deadlines or pressure while negotiating.
“We are talking to the United States, of course, but we don’t do deals in a hurry, and we don’t do deals with deadlines or with a gun on our head,” Goyal said during his visit to Berlin.
When asked about the growing global trend of setting strict deadlines and using tariffs in trade talks, the minister said India believes in long-term planning rather than short-term decisions.
“India looks long term. We never take decisions in a rush or under pressure. If there’s a tariff on us, we accept it and find solutions. We are exploring new markets and strengthening domestic demand. India has a very resilient structure,” Goyal explained.
His comments come as India and the US continue negotiations to revive a long-pending trade pact aimed at reducing high American tariffs on Indian goods. The US currently imposes tariffs up to 50%, including an additional 25% linked to India’s continued imports of Russian oil.
Meanwhile, the US, European Union, and United Kingdom have urged India to scale down its purchases of discounted Russian crude, arguing that such trade supports Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Adding to this, US President Donald Trump recently claimed that India had agreed to cut back on Russian oil imports. “He’s not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do,” Trump said, also praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great person” and hinting that both nations were “working on some deals.”
However, India has officially denied any such conversation between the two leaders. “I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified during a weekly press briefing.
New Delhi has consistently stated that its oil imports are guided by national interest and energy security.
Despite these differences, trade talks between the two nations are moving forward. Both sides aim to boost bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. Earlier this month, US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor met with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal in New Delhi to discuss ways to increase American investment and strengthen economic ties.