US drops 'pulses', makes other key revisions in fact sheet on trade deal with India

The White House revised its factsheet providing key information of the "historic" trade deal between India and the US.

In the updated version, the fact sheet has removed the claim saying India would reduce tariffs on "certain pulses", while also changing the verbatim relating to the $500 billion purchase "commitment".

This is a significant revision, given that agricultural import is a sensitive area for India's farm sector.

The fact sheet released on Tuesday had mentioned "certain pulses" among the products for which India would reduce or eliminate tariffs.

"India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products," the statement read. 

However, the updated version has deleted the word "pulses", while reading "India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products."

India is the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, including lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans.

The country has set high tariffs on American and other imports in this category to protect Indian farmers.

In another major change, the earlier version of the factsheet mentioned that “India will remove its digital services taxes” and had committed to negotiating a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules to address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade.

The revised version, however, makes no reference to the removal of digital services taxes. It now says that India has committed to negotiating bilateral digital trade rules aimed at addressing barriers, without mentioning the removal of the taxes.