On Saturday, September 6, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that no agreement will be signed with the United States regarding agricultural imports at the cost of Indian farmers. The relations between New Delhi and Washington have turned sour after the imposition of US tariffs by Donald Trump on Indian goods, including 25 per cent additional duties, for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
“The Prime Minister has said no agreement will be signed at the cost of farmers. Their interest will be protected,” Chouhan said at a news conference here, replying to the question of whether there was any room to strengthen Indo-US relations by compromising a little on the import duty on US farm produce.
Chouhan slammed the Opposition’s view on the US Tariffs
Furthermore, he said that the opposition sees the US tariffs behind every good work that happens in Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown the world that the interest of the country is supreme for him, and there will be no compromise on it. That was the response to a question about the Opposition’s charge that Trump’s tariff shock led to the changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure. He added that India takes its own decisions, saying: “The interests of our farmers, poultry farmers, fishermen, and the poor will be safeguarded” Not only this, on August 25, the minister had stated that the government resisted demands to allow the import of US agricultural produce in the interest of Indian farmers amid US tariffs. Addressing the speaking at the 12th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, he stressed that the government’s decisions prioritise the interests of farmers and fishermen.