‘No deals with a gun to our head’: India’s sharp message to US, EU on trade negotiations

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India will not enter into trade agreements in a hurry or with a "gun to our head", asserting that such deals must serve the country’s long-term interests.

“We are in active dialogue with the EU. We are talking to the US, but we do not do deals in a hurry and we do not do deals with deadlines or with a gun to our head,” Goyal said at the Berlin Dialogue in Germany.

The minister, who is in Berlin to attend the event, said India is negotiating several trade agreements with countries and regions, including the European Union (EU) and the United States.

Goyal stressed that New Delhi approaches trade talks with a long-term perspective and never takes decisions in a rush or in the heat of the moment.

When asked whether India is getting a fair, long-term trade deal, Goyal said, “I do not think India has ever decided who its friends will be based on any other considerations other than national interest... and somebody tells me you can't be friends with the EU, I won't accept that, or somebody tells me tomorrow I can't work with Kenya, it's not acceptable.”

His remarks come amid renewed pressure from the United States for India to curb imports of Russian crude oil, as Western nations continue to tighten sanctions on Moscow.

A day earlier, the minister had said discussions between India and the US on the proposed bilateral trade agreement are progressing well, expressing hope that both sides will move towards a “fair and equitable” pact in the near future.

Speaking to Doordarshan in Berlin, Goyal said, “We are in dialogue with the USA, our teams are engaged. We recently had the Commerce Secretary visit the US, and he met with his counterparts. We continue to engage with them and talks are progressing.”

An Indian delegation led by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal held three days of negotiations with US officials in Washington last week, concluding discussions on October 17.

The proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), aimed at reducing tariffs and expanding market access, is expected to be finalised by October–November 2025. So far, five rounds of talks have been completed.