US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday, 13 July publicly rebuked a Reuters report claiming that India had rejected a quick trade agreement with the United States, calling it 'fake news' and asserting that both sides remain fully committed to finalising a deal. The pushback came from multiple senior officials on both sides of the negotiation table.

What the Reuters Report Claimed

The Reuters report alleged that India was 'holding out for a better deal' and had rejected a swift trade agreement during recent negotiations. The report triggered swift and coordinated denials from Indian and American officials within hours of publication.

Gor's Rebuttal on X

Gor posted directly on social media platform X, writing: 'Fake news alert! No one has rejected anything. Both sides had very constructive meetings and reaffirmed their commitment to finalising a trade deal. We continue to stay actively engaged. Reuters - you can do better!'

Notably, this is not the first time the Ambassador has weighed in publicly on the pace of negotiations. Late last month, Gor stated at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit that the proposed deal was in its 'last one or two per cent', with negotiators working to resolve residual issues after nearly 18 months of talks.

India's Official Response

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called the Reuters report 'completely false, baseless, and misleading' in a post on X. He said: 'I had fantastic meetings with USTR Jamieson Greer when he visited Delhi in June. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries.'

Goyal added: 'Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective.'

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal echoed this position at a press conference in New Delhi, stating: 'We don't see any challenge in negotiations, and consultations are progressing in the right direction.'

Where the Deal Stands

Officials from both countries have intensified engagement in recent weeks, according to Gor's earlier remarks at the USISPF summit. The deal, if concluded, would mark a landmark bilateral trade agreement after one of the longest negotiating cycles in recent India-US diplomatic history. Both governments appear invested in projecting unity, even as the substance of the remaining sticking points has not been publicly disclosed.

With both sides now publicly committed to the deal's completion, the next visible milestone will likely be a formal announcement of a framework or a ministerial-level meeting to close out the final terms.