India has not made any commitments to US on tariffs, says Centre

India has not yet made any commitments to the United States about tariffs and has sought time until September to address the matter, the Union government told a parliamentary panel on Monday, reported The Times of India.

This came two days after US President Donald Trump said that India has agreed to “cut their tariffs way down”. On March 5, Trump announced that reciprocal tariffs will be imposed on India, China and other countries from April 2.

Trump has repeatedly iterated his intention to impose a reciprocal tax on India, citing the high tariffs by New Delhi on foreign goods.

Quoting unidentified officials, The Times of India quoted Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal on Monday telling the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs that India was working with the US to ensure a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

Barthwal added that the agreement would focus on long-term trade cooperation instead of seeking immediate tariff adjustments.

Unlike China, Mexico and Canada – countries facing tariffs from the Trump administration along with India – New Delhi was engaged with Washington on a trade deal, the commerce secretary reportedly said.

Responding to questions from Opposition leaders, Barthwal stated that the US is yet to officially impose new tariffs on India and that New Delhi could only take steps once that is done.

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