The Left party says selective disclosures raise serious concerns about India’s economic interests and sovereignty
NEW DELHI – The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday cautioned against the misplaced “euphoria” in sections of the corporate media over the announcement of an India–United States trade deal, asserting that any assessment was premature as the full details of the agreement have not yet been made public.
In a statement, the CPI(M) said a proper evaluation of the trade pact was impossible without access to its complete scope and provisions, warning that selective disclosures were raising serious concerns about India’s economic interests and sovereignty.
Referring to social media posts by US President Donald Trump, the party pointed out that Indian exports to the US are reportedly set to face an 18 per cent tariff, while India has allegedly agreed to reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US goods to zero.
“Eliminating tariffs would result in the flooding of the Indian market with US goods, severely impacting domestic industries and threatening workers’ livelihoods,” the CPI(M) said.
The party further warned that the removal of non-tariff barriers would effectively mean dismantling subsidies and policy measures that support Indian farmers, leaving them exposed to unfair competition from heavily subsidised US agricultural products.
The CPI(M) also expressed alarm over Trump’s claim that India had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and committed to buying goods worth $500 billion from the United States, including energy, technology and farm products.
“If these claims are true, they expose the highly unequal nature of the trade deal, placing India in a subordinate position and severely circumscribing its economic sovereignty,” the statement said.
Demanding transparency, the CPI(M) urged the government to place the complete trade agreement before Parliament and in the public domain to enable a comprehensive debate.
“Any provisions that are harmful to the interests of Indian industry, agriculture and the working people must be rescinded,” the party said, stressing that trade policy cannot be shaped behind closed doors or dictated by external pressure.
