NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said the govt will ensure that sensitive sectors, including agriculture, are protected as part of the trade deal with the US.“I have the courage of conviction to announce boldly that once details are out on the US trade deal, the people of India will celebrate that not a single sensitive interest of our commerce or any stakeholder has been compromised. On the contrary, India will stand at a very strong comparative advantage, and trade is about comparative advantage,” he said at an event here.The minister said that govt has so far ensured that domestic interests are protected. “I have yet to come across anybody who could find a single flaw in any of the eight free trade agreements which have been concluded and whose details are out in the market. The ninth, the US free trade deal, is sometimes sought to be politicised by a few elements. I don’t even know whether they deserve any comment because that’s probably due to a lack of understanding or lack of knowledge. The details are not yet fully out. I don’t know what they are criticising.”Goyal said that India had walked out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, where China was a major player, as it would have severely impacted India’s manufacturing sector.Goyal also said that despite the global uncertainty, India will exceed the $1 trillion exports target in the current financial year.
