Union minister Piyush Goyal on Monday drew a pointed parallel between trade and sport at a reception hosted at the residence of US Ambassador Sergio Gor, praising the US cricket team’s unexpected showing and linking the result of India’s T20 World Cup match to tariff levels between the two countries. Goyal joked that the United States’ 18 per cent tariff on Indian goods matched the margin by which India beat the US, and used the moment to underscore recent trade progress.
“The US may not have won yesterday’s match, but for a country which has not known cricket and has started on cricket a few years ago, the performance was fabulous,” Goyal said, praising the rapid rise of US cricket. Recounting a light-hearted exchange with Ambassador Gor during the game, he added that Gor had noted the US “lost the match by 18%,” and that he had suggested-half in jest-that if the reciprocal tariff had been zero the outcome might have been different.
Goyal also praised the US envoy’s role in the broader relationship, saying the trade pact “wouldn’t happen without him,” according to comments reported at the event. His remarks came as New Delhi and Washington formalised details of a recently announced trade agreement.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, India and the United States outlined a pact under which tariffs on Indian products entering the US will be reduced from 50% to 18%. Negotiations for the deal began in February 2025 and culminated in the concessions now being detailed by both governments.
Under the arrangement, India stands to see lower duties on sectors including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber goods, organic chemicals, home decor, artisanal products and selected machinery. In return, India will scrap or reduce duties on a broad range of American industrial goods and a wide selection of agricultural and food items — among them dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, and wine and spirits.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/if-youd-made-reciprocal-tariff-zero-goyals-cheeky-cricket-jab-at-us-after-t20-clash-sergio-gor-18-percent/articleshow/128137342.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-02-10 08:10:00
