Revised US-India Trade Agreement Framework Enhances Feasibility

Capital Economics' Asia Economist, Shivan Tandon, has highlighted the increased feasibility of reaching agreement terms under the revised US-India trade agreement framework. According to Jin10, the U.S. briefing document has altered its wording, indicating that India 'intends' to purchase $500 billion worth of U.S. goods over the next five years, rather than 'committing' to it. Tandon noted that such a binding commitment of this scale has always seemed unrealistic. Agricultural products are no longer included in this purchase plan, and references to India reducing tariffs on legumes have been removed. Tandon added that by reducing the risk of unrealistic commitments or politically sensitive concessions that might be reconsidered later, the revised framework should provide greater confidence to businesses making investment decisions.