Mapusa (Goa) [India], February 3 (ANI): Former Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar on Tuesday called the recently announced India‑US trade agreement the “first child” of the India‑EU trade deal, which he described as the “mother of all trade deals” announced on January 27.
Akbar said the United States had understood India’s message after India secured the EU deal. He argued that President Trump’s use of tariffs as pressure to make India “kowtow” was neutralised because Indian exports denied access to the US—such as gems, seafood and textiles—could find an equally large market in the European Union, making American threats ineffective.
Describing the outcome as a victory for a core element of the Modi doctrine, Akbar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi practices “cooperative nationalism”: putting India first while pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries. He said Modi refused advice to compromise over what Akbar called “tariff aggression,” insisting that Modi would not yield on India’s autonomy, self‑respect or honour.
Akbar expressed confidence that the episode would strengthen India‑US ties. He said America has seen the cumulative effect of India’s stance and that bilateral relations should now be on a steadier footing, able to deliver on their long‑standing promise.
The comments followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a trade deal with India on Monday (local time), after the US had imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods in August 2025. The announced agreement reportedly includes major duty reductions and states that India will stop purchasing Russian oil.
On his social platform Truth Social, Trump said he spoke with Prime Minister Modi and called him “one of my greatest friends” and a “powerful and respected leader.” Trump said Modi “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,” adding that this would help “END THE WAR in Ukraine.”
Regarding tariffs, Trump said the US had agreed to a trade deal lowering the US reciprocal tariff from 25% to 18% and that India would “move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO.” He also said Modi committed to “BUY AMERICAN,” including purchases of “over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products.”
Prime Minister Modi confirmed the agreement on X, saying he was “delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%,” thanked President Trump on behalf of India’s 1.4 billion people, and highlighted that cooperation between two large economies and democracies unlocks opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. Modi said he looked forward to working with Trump to raise the partnership to new heights.
The India‑US announcement follows the India‑EU agreement formalised on January 27 in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. The two sides issued a joint strategy document titled “Towards 2030 – A Joint India‑European Union Comprehensive Strategic Agenda,” and exchanged agreements including a political declaration concluding India‑EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations (signed by Piyush Goyal and Maroš Šefčovič), an India‑EU Security and Defence Partnership (signed by Kaja Kallas and S. Jaishankar), and a comprehensive mobility framework (signed by Šefčovič and Jaishankar), underscoring the expanding and multifaceted nature of India‑EU cooperation.
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