India-U.S. trade deal Updates: SKM demands Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s resignation for ignoring concerns of millions of farmers

Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said “There are several sectors that will attract zero duties when exported to the U.S., such as gems and diamonds, pharmaceutical products, smartphones will continue to attract 0% duty. Several agricultural exports will see zero duty from 50%, such as spices, tea, coffee, copra, coconuts and coconut oil, vegetable oil, areca nut, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, several fruits and vegetables, such as avocados, bananas, guavas, mangoes, kiwis, papaya, mushrooms, material for vegetable plating, vegetable sap, vegetable roots, cereals like barley, some processed foods.”

Zero duty: Aircraft parts, machinery parts, generic drugs, pharma products, some auto parts, gems and diamonds, platinum, clocks and watches, essential oil, home decor items like chandeliers, lamp parts, some inorganic chemicals, some paper, plastic, wood items.

Mr. Goyal said “We have not included any item where any Indian farmer will be hurt. All sensitive items have been kept out of the deal. No GM items will enter India, no relief on meat, poultry, dairy, soybean, maize, rice, wheat, sugar, millets, fruits such as bananas, strawberries, cherries, citrus fruit, greenpea, kabuli chana, moong, oilseeds, ethanol, tobacco.” — THB