'False, Baseless': Piyush Goyal Denies Claims India Rejected US Trade Agreement, Says Teams 'Fully Engaged'

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has hit back at report on the status of India-US trade negotiations as false, baseless and misleading. 

Taking X, Goyal denied claims that New Delhi had walked away from or delayed an interim trade pact with Washington, assuring that both nations are progressing toward a deal.

This comes after reports alleged that India had rejected a quick trade agreement during recent rounds, claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "holding out for a better deal" due to eased economic risks and domestic political gains.

Goyal Cites 'Fantastic Meetings' With USTR Jamieson Greer

Goyal said that recent face-to-face bilateral discussions with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer were highly positive and forward-looking.

"This news is completely false, baseless and misleading," Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated, directly addressing the media report. “I had fantastic meetings with USTR Jamieson Greer, @USTradeRep, when he visited Delhi in June. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries.”

Goyal mentioned that the core objective of the ongoing dialogue is to establish a robust framework that yields "tangible benefits" for stakeholders across both geographies, ranging from industrial businesses to grassroot farmers and consumers, rather than rushing a politically motivated paper through without long-term commercial viability.

"Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective," Goyal added.