What happened on February 2 that there was a need for the prime minister to "force" President Trump to announce the trade deal, Ramesh asked. Why did you hurriedly strike a deal when you knew the verdict could go against Trump," Ramesh said. Under the trade deal, Washington would charge a reduced reciprocal tariff on New Delhi, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. Shortly after the court verdict, Trump asserted that there is "no change" in the trade deal with India. "I think my relationship with India is fantastic and we're doing trade with India... India was getting its oil from Russia.

Source: The Telegraph February 22, 2026 09:18 UTC