PM Modi lauds 12-point framework on India-USA 'interim agreement'; tariffs, trade barriers addressed

India and the United States have jointly unveiled a 12‑point framework for an Interim Trade Agreement, turning Donald Trump’s headline “deal” into a structured roadmap that now has detailed commitments on tariffs, market access and digital trade. While it locks in an 18% reciprocal tariff for a wide range of Indian exports, it also requires India to cut or eliminate duties on many US industrial and farm products, and is explicitly designed as a bridge toward a fuller Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).