T20 meets trade: Piyush Goyal delivers cricket-style jab on India-US tariff deal, steals spotlight at US event. Watch

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday (Feb 9) used a touch of humour to highlight India's evolving trade relationship with the United States, drawing an unusual comparison between tariffs and cricket during a diplomatic reception. Speaking at an event hosted at the residence of US Ambassador Sergio Gor, Goyal referred to India’s recent victory over the United States in a T20 World Cup match and linked it to the newly announced tariff framework between the two countries.

Goyal's 18% jab at Gor

Praising the US's performance at the T20 World Cup match, the Indian commerce minister, in jest, said that America may have won the match "if only" President Donald Trump had "made the reciprocal tariff zero".

"The US may not have won yesterday’s match, but I must say, for a country which has not known cricket and has started on cricket only a few years ago, the performance was fabulous," Goyal said, praising the American team’s showing.

He then recalled a light-hearted exchange with Ambassador Gor during the game. "Sergio pointed out one very important factor — the US lost the match by 18%. And a very humble request I made to him, as a suggestion, that if only you had made the reciprocal tariff zero, you would possibly have won the match," said Piyush Goyal.

Watch what he said here:

The remark came just days after India and the United States released a joint statement outlining details of a new trade agreement aimed at reducing tariffs and expanding market access on both sides.

India-US trade deal

Under the agreement, US tariffs on Indian exports will fall sharply from about 50 per cent to 18 per cent, easing pressure on several export-oriented sectors. Indian industries expected to benefit include textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber goods, organic chemicals, home decor products, artisanal items and select machinery.

In return, India has agreed to reduce or eliminate duties on a broad range of American goods. These include industrial products as well as agricultural and food items such as dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum used for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, and wine and spirits.

Negotiations for the deal began in February 2025 and continued for months before the agreement was finalised.