In charts: How the India-US trade deal restores the level playing field
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India and the US announced on Monday that they had agreed on a trade deal. India announced that it will would face 18% US tariffs, down from 50%.
The US, meanwhile, said India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil, move toward zero tariffs on a wide range of American products and eliminate non-tariff barriers, buy $500 billion of US products, and allow greater access to its farm sector. India has yet to confirm these aspects of the trade deal. Remember, the US's demand for greater access to India's agricultural market was a sticking point.
While a better assessment will be possible once the finer details of the trade deal are released, on the face of it, an 18% tariff on India puts it on a level playing field with other export competitors, if not at an advantage. The 50% tariffs, which took effect in late August, dealt a hard blow to several sectors, even as overall exports showed resilience by capturing alternative markets. Gems and jewellery, textiles, and marine products, are among the goods expected to see much-needed relief from lower tariffs.
The announcement of a trade deal comes after nearly a year of dramatic events that strained India's trade and diplomatic ties with the US. While India faced reciprocal tariffs in April 2025 alongside several other nations, negotiations stalled as New Delhi hesitated to open its agricultural market to US products. Tensions further escalated when the Indian government countered President Donald Trump’s claims regarding his role in ending the India-Pakistan conflict.
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