WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House on Tuesday praised a new trade agreement with India, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed to ending purchases of Russian oil, increasing energy imports from the United States, and investing $500 billion across key American sectors.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the agreement announced a day earlier by President Donald Trump would deliver direct benefits to the U.S. economy and American consumers.
“India committed to not only no longer purchasing Russian oil, but buying oil from the United States, also perhaps from Venezuela too, which will now have a direct benefit on the U.S. and American people,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House.
She said Modi had also pledged large-scale investments in the United States. “PM Modi committed to an investment of $500 billion into the United States, including energy, transportation, and agricultural products,” she said.
Leavitt described the agreement as a major achievement for the Trump administration. “As you all saw yesterday, President Trump struck another great trade deal, with India,” she said, adding that the agreement reflected Washington’s effort to secure tangible economic gains from major trading partners.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the agreement would preserve some tariff measures while opening Indian markets in several sectors. “We’ll continue to maintain some level of tariff against India,” Greer said in comments to CNBC, according to a statement shared by Rapid Response 47.
At the same time, he said India had agreed to lower trade barriers for U.S. exporters. “They’ve also agreed to reduce their tariffs for us on a variety of agricultural products, manufactured goods, chemicals, medical devices, etc.,” Greer said.
Calling the agreement “a very exciting opportunity,” Greer said it balances expanded market access with domestic protections. “On the one hand, we’ll continue to maintain some level of tariff against India,” he said, “but they’ve also agreed to reduce their tariffs for us on a variety of agricultural products, manufactured goods, chemicals, medical devices, etc.”
Greer also emphasized that India would retain safeguards for sensitive agricultural sectors. “India, like every country in the world, including the United States, has some protection around some certain key areas in agriculture, and they will continue to control that,” he said.
The administration has framed the agreement as part of President Trump’s broader trade strategy aimed at reducing trade deficits, protecting U.S. workers, and expanding export opportunities for American producers. (Source: IANS)
