USA lost by 18%: Jokes fly as Sergio Gor hosts ministers to mark India trade pact

Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal has said that the Trade Deal would not have been possible but for his (US Ambassador Sergio Gor) support, his personal leadership to the entire engagement.  at the reception hosted at the residence of US Ambassador Sergio Gor in new Delhi.“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,” Piyush Goyal was quoted as saying in jest. 

#WATCH | Delhi: "...The US may not have won yesterday's match (against India in the T20 World Cup), but I must say, for a country which has not known Cricket and has started on Cricket a few years ago, the performance was fabulous. Sergio was there to enjoy the match...Sergio… pic.twitter.com/bmwimEor1u

— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2026

Sergio Gor, the US Ambassador to India, on Monday said Donald Trump's administration is "paying attention" to India, and highlighted the role of friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Trump for finalising the framework of the India-US interim trade agreement.

#WATCH | Delhi: "...The White House is paying attention to India, our President is paying attention to India. Thanks to the friendship that President Trump has with PM Modi, we were able to get the trade deal..," says US Ambassador Sergio Gor at the reception hosted at his… pic.twitter.com/VT0hOaF4Bn

— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2026

The reception was attended by India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who thus interacted with Gor days after the conclusion of the India-US interim trade agreement framework. British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron and Ambassador of the European Union to India Hervé Delphin were present too.