Congress Says NITI Aayog Removed Working Paper that Called For Duty Free Import From US
New Delhi: Congress general secretary in-charge, communications and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh has questioned why a working paper put out by the NITI Aayog on India-US trade was withdrawn and went missing from the Aayog’s website.
“On May 30, 2025, NITI Aayog put out a Working Paper titled Promoting India-US Agricultural Trade Under the New US Trade Regime. It got reported and also invited some critical comment. Now the Working Paper has gone missing from the Aayog's website. It has reportedly been withdrawn. Wonder why?” Ramesh posted on X on Sunday (June 29).
Later on Monday (June 30), Ramesh accused the Modi government of looking after the interests of American farmers multinational corporations over Indian farmers.
“The NITI Aayog paper called for allowing duty free import of genetically modified maize and soyabean from the US. For the Modi sarkar, the interests of Midwestern American farmers and large Multinational Corporation traders are bigger than that of the maize farmers of Bihar and soyabean farmers of MP, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Who authorized the release of this paper and is this a preview of the forthcoming Indo-US trade agreement?” Ramesh posted on X on Monday.
The NITI Aayog paper called for allowing duty free import of genetically modified maize and soyabean from the US. For the Modi sarkar, the interests of Midwestern American farmers and large Multinational Corporation traders are bigger than that of the maize farmers of Bihar and… https://t.co/wvetw6fysS
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 30, 2025
The working paper that was removed outlines a roadmap to boost India’s agricultural exports to the US while strategically opening select segments to American imports, reported The Tribune.
The paper concludes that India, which has traditionally maintained a trade surplus with the US in agriculture, needs a carefully balanced strategy that combines immediate responses with long-term structural reforms to navigate challenges posed by former US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes.
"India is the largest importer of edible oil in the world and the US has a significant surplus of genetically modified (GM) soybean. India can consider limited concessions on soybean oil imports to address US demands and help reduce the trade imbalance, without harming domestic production," said the working paper.
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