Fact Check: Did Modi Government Allow Export Of Hydroxychloroquine AFTER Trump’s Talk Of Retaliation?

On 6 April at 5 PM (7 April at 2:30 AM [IST]), US President Donald Trump held a press conference in the White House on the Coronavirus pandemic situation in his country and the government’s response to it.

Later, while replying to a question from a reporter, he talked of retaliation when asked about India’s export ban on Hydroxychloroquine (Henceforth HCQ) - the drug Trump is touting as an effective weapon in the fight against Covid-19 outbreak.

Here is the exact transcript of the exchange between Trump and the reporter:

Reporter: Thank you, sir. Are you worried about retaliation to your decision to ban export of medical goods, like Indian Prime Minister Modi’s decision to not export hydroxychloroquine to the United States and other country?

Trump: I don’t like that decision. I didn’t hear that that was his decision. I know that he stopped it for other countries. I spoke to him yesterday. We had a very good talk and we’ll see whether or not that is. I would be surprised if he would because India does very well with the United States. For many years they’ve been taken advantage of the United States on trade. So I would be surprised if that were his decision. He’d have to tell me that. I spoke to him Sunday morning, called him, and I said, we’d appreciate your allowing our supply to come out. If he doesn’t allow it to come out, that would be okay. But of course there may be retaliation. Why wouldn’t there be? Yeah.

Now, a leader, who is not diplomatically challenged, could’ve said that “I don’t answer hypothetical questions and I fully believe PM Modi would help us in this difficult time. Why wouldn’t he?”. But since it was Trump, he decided to tread in bravado than deftness.

The Indian media started reporting on this as soon as the journalists woke up yesterday morning. Soon, this statement from the government followed which gave an impression as if Modi government buckled under pressure from Trump while lifting ban on export of HCQ.

The government’s critics, from those in the media to those in the Congress party led by none other than Rahul Gandhi, took the government to task for surrendering before Trump’s warning. Modi’s “56 inch sized” chest was made fun of on the social media by troll armies of opposition parties.

But did Modi government really allow export of HCQ AFTER Trump’s talk of retaliation?

No.

In fact, the lifting of export ban on HCQ (along with many other drug components) came hours before Trump’s boastful Q&A which was a diplomatic juvenility.

This is a screen grab (and link) of the story broken by Livemint newspaper. Check the time. It was published at 10:06 PM on 6 April, i.e. four and a half hours before Trump’s briefing began.

That’s not all.

Here’s more proof (and official too). This is the notification issued by the government of India dated 6 April which amended export policy of various API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient).

Remember again, Trump’s conference was next day (IST).

So, no. Indian government didn’t allow export of HCQ after Trump’s talk of retaliation. It did so hours before his press briefing..