"Trust your country, not foreign statements": Piyush Goyal on India-US trade deal talks

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday reacted to the ongoing speculations regarding the India-US trade deal and said that the country should trust India's position and policy and not on the statements of any other country.

Goyal's statement comes a day after the Ministry of External Affairs rejected claims that the India-US trade deal could not be finalised because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call US President Donald Trump.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently claimed that the India-US trade deal could not move forward because Prime Minister Modi did not call, while the US moved ahead in trade agreements with other countries.

Trade deal negotiations will be held behind closed doors: Goyal

In an interview with a news channel, Piyush Goyal clarified that sensitive issues like trade agreements are negotiated behind closed doors, not in public forums. He said that the terms and specifics of trade deals cannot be discussed in front of the media.

The "first-mover gets the best deal" argument:

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement that President Trump views trade deals like a ladder, where countries that enter into agreements first receive better terms. He said, "The first to climb the ladder gets the best deal."

The Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed the claims as false

India's Ministry of External Affairs has termed the entire narrative as misleading. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India and the US have been in continuous and intensive negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement for more than a year. He also clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump have had eight phone conversations during the year 2025, in which various aspects of the India-US Comprehensive Partnership were discussed.