India-U.S. trade deal: Anand Sharma dares Piyush Goyal to cancel UPA-era pacts

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday (February 8, 2026) encouraged Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to cancel trade agreements with ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore if they are against national interest.

Mr. Sharma, a former UPA Commerce Secretary, was reacting to Mr. Goyal’s press conference on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in which he questioned UPA-era agreements and policy decisions such as palm oil imports from foreign countries.

“It is ironic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Malaysia for his ASEAN roadshow and the Commerce Minister is making these statements,” Mr. Sharma said. Hindu. “What’s stopping their governments from canceling these agreements if they are against the nation?” he asked.

Mr. Sharma justified his decision to import edible oils such as palm oil by citing data that suggested imports were necessary to meet domestic demand. “India continues to be an importer of edible oils. Annual domestic production is around 10.5-10.6 million tonnes, while imports are 16 million tonnes. Approximately $18.3 billion was spent in 2024-25,” he said.

The Congress leader said palm oil was imported even during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government and continued throughout the 12 years of the Narendra Modi government.

“The Commerce Minister has done a disservice to the nation by calling ASEAN China’s B-team. He should apologize for his statements. I also urge him to answer our questions on the Indo-US trade deal, which remains a mystery,” Mr. Sharma said.

Mr. Sharma said US President Donald Trump’s “tall claims” about the deal raise “fundamental questions beyond trade, relating to national sovereignty, India’s global commitments, the multilateral rules-based trade regime and the WTO.”

Noting that the average US MFN (most favored nation) tariff to India was around 3% before reciprocal tariffs of 25% in April 2025, he asked, “What is there to celebrate?” he asked.

Mr. Sharma also sought answers on whether India would agree to open up its agriculture and dairy sectors, offer “zero tariff access” to U.S. products, commit to buying $500 billion worth of American goods and restrict purchases of Russian oil.

“The government needs to answer all these questions to our people. They cannot try to blame previous governments by remaining silent about the details,” he said.