US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, on Monday praised the growing partnership between India and the United States, emphasizing the role of the personal rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US President Donald Trump in finalizing the framework for the India-US interim trade agreement announced last week.
Speaking at a reception hosted at the US Ambassador’s residence in New Delhi, Sergio Gor said the Trump administration has been closely attentive to India, crediting the strong bilateral relationship for the successful conclusion of the interim trade deal.
“I’ve been here just over a month, and we hit the ground running. The White House is paying attention to India. Our President is paying attention to India. Thanks to the friendship between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, we were able to finalize the trade agreement,” Sergio Gor stated.
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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was also present at the reception.
The announcement of the interim trade agreement framework underscores the shared interests and ongoing partnership between the two countries. The agreement sets the stage for a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) initiated by President Trump and PM Modi on February 13, 2025.
Sergio Gor: India to Cut Tariffs on Key US Goods Under Trade Framework
Under the framework, India has agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US agricultural and food products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits, among others.
Conversely, the United States will impose an 18% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, covering textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home decor, artisanal products, and certain machinery.
Upon successful implementation of the Interim Agreement, the US has indicated it will later remove reciprocal tariffs on select items, including generic pharmaceuticals, gems and diamonds, and aircraft parts.
Sergio Gor formally became the 27th US Ambassador to India after presenting his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 14, 2026.