Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal questioned UPA-era deals and policy decisions such as the import of palm oil.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday (February 8, 2026) dared Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to cancel trade pacts with ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore if they were against national interest.
Mr. Sharma, a former UPA Commerce Minister, was reacting to Mr. Goyal’s press conference on Saturday (February 7, 2026) in which he had questioned UPA-era deals and policy decisions such as the import of palm oil from foreign countries.
“It’s ironic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Malaysia for an ASEAN outreach tour and the Commerce Minister made these statements,” Mr. Sharma told The Hindu. “What’s stopping their government from cancelling these deals if they are against the nation,” he asked.
Mr. Sharma justified the decision to import edible oils such as palm oil, citing data to argue that imports were required to meet domestic demand. “India remains an importer of edible oils. Annual indigenous production is around 10.5-10.6 million tonnes, while imports are 16 million tonnes per year. Nearly $18.3 billion were spent in 2024-25,” he said.
The Congress leader said that palm oil was imported even during the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has continued during the 12 years of the Narendra Modi’s government.
“The Commerce Minister has done a disservice to the nation by terming ASEAN the B-team of China. He should apologise for his statements. I would urge him to also answer our questions on the Indo-U.S. trade deal, which remains shrouded in mystery,” Mr. Sharma said.
Mr. Sharma said U.S. President Donald Trump’s “tall claims” about the agreement raised “fundamental questions beyond trade, which concern national sovereignty, India’s global commitments, the multilateral rule-based trade regime and the WTO.”
Also Read | India-U.S. deal: Five unanswered questions
Pointing out that the average U.S. MFN (most-favoured nation) tariff on India was around 3% before the 25% reciprocal tariffs of April 2025, he asked, “What is there to celebrate?”
Mr. Sharma also sought answers on whether India had agreed to open up its agriculture and dairy sectors, offer “zero-duty access” to U.S. products, commit to buying $500 billion worth of American goods, and restrict purchases of Russian oil.
“The government must answer all these questions to our people. They can’t be silent on the details and seek to blame previous governments,” he said.
Published – February 08, 2026 04:23 pm IST
