‘No one knows what’s behind the deal’: Minister MB Patil on India-US trade agreement

BENGALURU: Industries Minister M B Patil on Tuesday raised questions about the terms of the India-US trade deal and whether any commitments were made regarding India’s purchase of Russian oil.

“We all know that US tariff has been reduced to 18 per cent, but what is behind that no one knows. We don’t know if there was any commitment from the PM not to buy Russian oil. It is good for industries that the tariff has been reduced”, he said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On India-US trade agreement, Karnataka Minister MB Patil says,” We all know that US tariff has been reduced to 18%, but what is behind that no one knows. We don’t know if there was any commitment from the PM not to buy Russian oil. It is good for industries… pic.twitter.com/jyh1POlFDd

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2026

The India-US trade deal reduces tariffs on Indian goods in the US to 18 per cent, while Washington has claimed the deal will help it export more agricultural products to New Delhi.

In New Delhi, Congress MP Jebi Mather on Tuesday expressed concern over the India-US trade deal, saying that several details are unclear and questioning why announcements about the deal and other issues appear to be coming first from US President Donald Trump instead of the Indian government. She called for clarity on the deal and India’s oil imports from Russia, Venezuela, and the US.

Mather said, “So now the pattern seems to be that it’s not through our govt or our PM that India comes to know what is happening or what is the deal. Whether it is the ceasefire announcement or the trade deal announcement, President Trump seems to be making all the announcements. So, have we surrendered totally to President Trump and America? Don’t we have an identity of our own? We need clarity on several things because President Trump says that India is going to buy oil not from Russia but from Venezuela and America”.

Mather also urged the government to present the deal to Parliament for open discussion. “Agriculture sector is going to be opened up. So, what is the security of our farmers? They also say that the tariff for American goods to Indian market will be zero. When Parliament is in session, confidence of Parliament and also the people of India is definitely required. So, they can table the EU deal and also the trade deal with the US. We can discuss it in Parliament and let the Govt explain. We really wish that we get to hear from our own than hearing it from US President,” she said. (ANI)