‘If US had made reciprocal tariffs zero…’: What Piyush Goyal told US ambassador on 18% India tariffs
“Sergio pointed out one very important factor — the US lost the match by 18%. And a very humble request I made to him as a suggestion that if only you had made the reciprocal tariff zero, you would possibly have won the match,” Union Minister Piyush Goyal said.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal blended trade diplomacy with cricket humour while speaking at a reception hosted at the residence of US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday. Goyal joked that the US cricket team’s loss to India in the T20 World Cup 2026 could have been avoided with zero reciprocal tariffs.
Referring to the recent India–US T20 World Cup match, Goyal said the US team delivered a strong performance despite being new to the sport.
“The US may not have won yesterday’s match, but I must say, for a country which has not known cricket and has started on cricket a few years ago, the performance was fabulous,” he said.
Highlighting a comment made by Ambassador Gor, who was present at the match, Goyal pointed to the margin of defeat.
“Sergio pointed out one very important factor — the US lost the match by 18%,” Goyal said.
“And a very humble request I made to him as a suggestion that if only you had made the reciprocal tariff zero, you would possibly have won the match,” he added, drawing laughter from the audience.
“I was indeed amazed by the fabulous performance the US cricket team did,” Goyal said.
Trade deal praise for US ambassador
Goyal also used the occasion to acknowledge Gor’s role in strengthening India–US trade ties.
“I must place on record, the trade deal would not have been possible but for his support, his personal leadership to the entire engagement,” the minister said.
Thanking the US envoy, Goyal said his efforts had helped deepen bilateral relations.
“Thank you very much, Sergio, for all that you have done to further strengthen this bond between the US and India,” he said.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor credits Modi–Trump friendship for trade deal
Gor highlighted the growing momentum in India–US relations, crediting the personal friendship between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for helping conclude the framework for the India–US interim trade agreement announced last week.
‘White House is paying attention to India’
Speaking at the reception, Gor said the Trump administration was closely focused on India and its strategic partnership with the country.
“I’ve been here just a little over a month, and we hit the ground running. The White House is paying attention to India. Our President is paying attention to India,” Gor said.
He said the strong rapport between the two leaders played a decisive role in finalising the trade framework.
“Thanks to the friendship of President Trump with Prime Minister Modi, we were able to get the trade deal across eventually,” the US ambassador added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw were among the senior ministers present at the reception.
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X, “Good meeting with Mr. Sergio Gor, U.S. Ambassador to India. Discussed strengthening our strategic ties, with a focus on semiconductors, electronics manufacturing and supply chain resilience. Look forward to strong participation from the U.S. in the AI Impact Summit 2026.”
Trade agreement framework
The remarks come days after India and the United States announced a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal, mutually beneficial trade, reaffirming their commitment to a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Trump and Modi launched the BTA on 13 February 2025.
The interim framework is aimed at deepening economic engagement while paving the way for a comprehensive trade pact.
Tariff concessions by India
Under the framework, India has agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of American agricultural and food products. These include dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits, along with several other products.
US to impose 18% reciprocal tariff
In return, the United States will impose a reciprocal tariff of 18% on goods originating in India. The tariff will apply to key Indian export sectors such as textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home décor, artisanal goods and certain categories of machinery.