This time in the tariff controversy, Union Minister of State Jitin Prasada responded in Parliament. He stated that India has maintained communication with the United States. Both countries have mutually attempted to enhance and expand their trade relations. The Minister of Commerce and Industry claimed that so far, the U.S. has not imposed retaliatory tariffs on India.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy has sparked an uproar across the globe. In his second term as President, he decided to impose retaliatory tariffs on other countries. He announced that any country imposing tariffs on American goods would face equal import tariffs from the U.S. Discussions continue worldwide regarding Trump’s “tit-for-tat” policy. Regarding the imposition of new tariff policies, Trump specifically and repeatedly mentioned India. He warned that starting April 2, the U.S. would impose retaliatory import tariffs on Indian goods.

Since then, tensions have been escalating between India and the U.S. A few days ago, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visited the U.S. At the end of that visit, Trump unilaterally declared that India had agreed to reduce tariffs. However, Union Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal informed a parliamentary committee on Monday that negotiations with the U.S. over tariffs were ongoing, and India had not committed to reducing tariffs.

Responding to a written question in Parliament, Jitin Prasada said, “Both countries (India and the U.S.) are planning discussions on trade agreements. Both will focus on increasing market access for goods, streamlining supply chains, and reducing tariff barriers. This is an ongoing process.”

On February 13, Trump met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. During Modi’s visit, India and the U.S. agreed to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion within the next five years. Despite this, U.S. President Trump has repeatedly made it clear that his administration plans to impose retaliatory import tariffs not only on competitors but also on trading partners.