US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Oct 20) said that the much-awaited US-India trade deal was "pretty close". His remarks echoed the earlier statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that the bilateral trade agreement was "incredibly close" and that finalisation was anticipated shortly.According to the POTUS, the upcoming deal was slated to be of a "much different kind" than any the US has "made in the past".Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-items-are-done-but-no-signature-how-the-us-midterms-could-decide-the-india-us-trade-deal-1792223135218">'Big items are done' but no signature: How US midterms could decide the India-US trade deal</a><h2>What did Trump say exactly?</h2>During a news briefing on Tuesday, Trump was asked if the trade deal with India was close. "They want to make a deal. We're going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah. Going to be a much different kind of a deal than we've made in the past," he said.Earlier, during an interview, Rubio had noted that the deal is expected "in a matter of weeks, not months". He stressed that it was in the final stages, noting, "with these deals, it’s always important that it would be totally agreed to, every detail of it, before it’s announced because you can’t afford for a relationship of this magnitude to be threatened by announcing a deal and it turning out the deal wasn’t finalised.""But it’s incredibly close. I think we are down to some technical details that need to be worked out. Technical details matter because there has to be an agreement; both sides have to agree that the language means the same thing. So, it’s down to that level," he said.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/very-close-to-trade-deal-with-india-says-marco-rubio-ahead-of-his-mumbai-arrival-on-tuesday-1792411026672">‘Very close’ to trade deal with India, says Rubio ahead of his Mumbai arrival</a>

<h2>Why the US-India trade deal matters</h2>The India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement represents a significant milestone in India’s global trade relations, ensuring continued preferential access for Indian exports to the US market worth over $30 trillion. The agreement provides thorough tariff rationalisation, duty-free access for many product categories, improved digital and technology collaboration, and a carefully designed framework to protect India’s farmers, MSMEs, and domestic industry.

US President Donald Trump says the US-India trade deal is "pretty close", echoing Secretary of State Marco Rubio's view that the agreement is "incredibly close" and expected in weeks, not months. Here's what he said.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Oct 20) said that the much-awaited US-India trade deal was "pretty close". His remarks echoed the earlier statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that the bilateral trade agreement was "incredibly close" and that finalisation was anticipated shortly. According to the POTUS, the upcoming deal was slated to be of a "much different kind" than any the US has "made in the past". Also read | 'Big items are done' but no signature: How US midterms could decide the India-US trade deal What did Trump say exactly? During a news briefing on Tuesday, Trump was asked if the trade deal with India was close. "They want to make a deal. We're going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah. Going to be a much different kind of a deal than we've made in the past," he said. Earlier, during an interview, Rubio had noted that the deal is expected "in a matter of weeks, not months". He stressed that it was in the final stages, noting, "with these deals, it’s always important that it would be totally agreed to, every detail of it, before it’s announced because you can’t afford for a relationship of this magnitude to be threatened by announcing a deal and it turning out the deal wasn’t finalised." "But it’s incredibly close. I think we are down to some technical details that need to be worked out. Technical details matter because there has to be an agreement; both sides have to agree that the language means the same thing. So, it’s down to that level," he said. Also read | ‘Very close’ to trade deal with India, says Rubio ahead of his Mumbai arrival

US President Donald Trump says the US-India trade deal is "pretty close", echoing Secretary of State Marco Rubio's view that the agreement is "incredibly close" and expected in weeks, not months. Here's what he said.

Trump confirms US-India trade deal 'pretty close', promises a 'different' kind of agreement

New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Mumbai on Tuesday for talks with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, as Washington says a trade deal is “very close”. Rubio, on his second visit to India this year, is scheduled to land in the financial capital on Tuesday at around 2 pm. He is expected to meet External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar at 3.30 pm IST.&nbsp;Later in the week, he will travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat, home to a private sector crude oil refining complex.Speaking in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, before flying on to India, Rubio linked the sanctions waiver and the trade talks. “We’re trying to finalise a trade deal with India right now. We’re very close to doing that,” he said. “That’s one of the things we take into consideration when the president makes a decision about national security waivers and things of that nature.”&nbsp;He added that Washington had waived sanctions in recent months “because of looking at the global supplies, looking at global prices, the impact that was having on other countries.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Rubio noted high diesel prices in many places and said foreign policy must balance the war in Ukraine with other realities. “Every country has a complex set of factors that they have to take into account. Geography is real. For some countries, it’s very difficult to acquire energy from alternative sources. That’s not an excuse, but all that has to be balanced… You also can’t unravel the economy of other countries because of one central issue,” he said.&nbsp;The waiver relates to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which President Donald Trump signed on 18 September. The law authorised tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas, a list that includes India and China, if they continued new purchases after 18 October.&nbsp;&nbsp;Trump has paused the key provisions for 60 days while the administration studies the economic consequences. That review is expected to conclude around 15 December, when world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are due in Florida for the G20 summit.&nbsp;The visit comes against a backdrop of strained bilateral ties. Immigration and visa issues, along with rising anti-India rhetoric in the United States, remain points of concern for New Delhi. Last week Indian side expressed serious concern after US authorities foiled an alleged plot by a 19-year-old to attack a Hindu temple near Chicago. India has called on Washington to ensure the safety of the Indian community.&nbsp;US officials have described the trip as more business-focused than Rubio’s earlier visit in May, when he attended a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. This time he is skipping the capital, New Delhi. Energy cooperation, including India’s continued substantial imports of Russian crude and its efforts to diversify supplies, is expected to feature prominently alongside the status of the trade negotiations.

President Trump has paused the key provisions of the Graham Act for 60 days while the administration studies the economic consequences. That review is expected to conclude around 15 December, when world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are due in Florida for the G20 summit.

New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Mumbai on Tuesday for talks with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, as Washington says a trade deal is “very close”. Rubio, on his second visit to India this year, is scheduled to land in the financial capital on Tuesday at around 2 pm. He is expected to meet External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar at 3.30 pm IST. Later in the week, he will travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat, home to a private sector crude oil refining complex. Speaking in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, before flying on to India, Rubio linked the sanctions waiver and the trade talks. “We’re trying to finalise a trade deal with India right now. We’re very close to doing that,” he said. “That’s one of the things we take into consideration when the president makes a decision about national security waivers and things of that nature.” He added that Washington had waived sanctions in recent months “because of looking at the global supplies, looking at global prices, the impact that was having on other countries.” Rubio noted high diesel prices in many places and said foreign policy must balance the war in Ukraine with other realities. “Every country has a complex set of factors that they have to take into account. Geography is real. For some countries, it’s very difficult to acquire energy from alternative sources. That’s not an excuse, but all that has to be balanced… You also can’t unravel the economy of other countries because of one central issue,” he said. The waiver relates to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which President Donald Trump signed on 18 September. The law authorised tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas, a list that includes India and China, if they continued new purchases after 18 October. Trump has paused the key provisions for 60 days while the administration studies the economic consequences. That review is expected to conclude around 15 December, when world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are due in Florida for the G20 summit. The visit comes against a backdrop of strained bilateral ties. Immigration and visa issues, along with rising anti-India rhetoric in the United States, remain points of concern for New Delhi. Last week Indian side expressed serious concern after US authorities foiled an alleged plot by a 19-year-old to attack a Hindu temple near Chicago. India has called on Washington to ensure the safety of the Indian community. US officials have described the trip as more business-focused than Rubio’s earlier visit in May, when he attended a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. This time he is skipping the capital, New Delhi. Energy cooperation, including India’s continued substantial imports of Russian crude and its efforts to diversify supplies, is expected to feature prominently alongside the status of the trade negotiations.

President Trump has paused the key provisions of the Graham Act for 60 days while the administration studies the economic consequences. That review is expected to conclude around 15 December, when world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are due in Florida for the G20 summit.

‘Very close’ to trade deal with India, says Marco Rubio ahead of his Mumbai arrival on Tuesday

Eight months after Washington and New Delhi settled on an 18 per cent tariff, the full India-US bilateral trade agreement remains unsigned. With the US midterm elections due on November 3, the unfinished half of the deal now hinges on which party controls Congress for the second half of Donald Trump's presidency.The first tranche of the deal has been finalised and is undergoing legal drafting, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday (Oct 15), reiterating that India would proceed only once it secures an advantage over competing exporters like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia. "The US bilateral trade agreement first tranche has been finalised. It's going through final contours, the legal drafting, and we hope to be able to finalise that soon and operationalise that once we get comparable advantage or competitive advantage over our peer countries," Goyal, addressing the SRCC Centenary Conclave in Delhi, said.But momentum has been uneven. Trade talks have reached a "plateau" with little room to manoeuvre, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said earlier this month, days after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer cautioned that a deal was not "imminent". Neither side has publicly detailed the reasons for the delay.Sitharaman's statement, notably, was New Delhi's strongest public acknowledgement that talks on key issues have stalled the deal both nations have sought since February 2025. Can this change after the midterms? Let's have a look.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-trade-deal-with-india-is-very-very-close-what-s-holding-it-up-wion-decodes-1782280167960">US says trade deal with India is 'very, very close'. What's holding it up? | WION Decodes</a><h2>India-US trade deal: What the US midterms can change</h2>All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of 100 Senate seats are up for election on November 3. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin House majority of 218 seats (the exact number of seats needed for a majority) to 214 Democratic seats (with 2 vacancies). In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. This means that Democrats only need a net gain of three to four seats to flip the upper chamber.Forecasts favour the Democrats in the House, where the Cook Political Report expects them to gain between five and 15 seats. The Senate is closer, with Democrats narrowly ahead in Texas, Iowa and Michigan.This means that for India, the stakes are concrete. The US is India's largest export market, with goods exports rising to $42.79 billion in April-August from $40.39 billion a year earlier, and a trade surplus of nearly $34 billion in fiscal 2025/26.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-s-100-000-h-1b-fee-why-neither-republicans-nor-democrats-want-to-make-it-a-2026-us-midterm-issue-1791971903938">Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee: Why neither Republicans nor Democrats want to make it a 2026 US Midterm issue</a><h2>Republican win or Democratic win: Which outcome closes the deal?</h2>A September 2026 study by Anil Raman for the Takshashila Institution, based on 42 interviews in Washington, found that support for India in Congress is "broad but shallow". Research by Paul Staniland, a professor at the University of Chicago who was interviewed for the paper, showed a structural condition: "Public support for India is broad but shallow, while within the ruling coalition sits an intense minority whose organising concern is restricting immigration".Groups opposed to cheap imports, skilled migration and Russian oil money are smaller, but they care more, and they vote, the study notes.A Democratic House could ease the treatment of Indian students and workers and press to end the war that has raised India's oil bill, but it is unlikely to change the tariffs or the Russia law. Alternatively, if Republicans lose control of the House, Trump, a president weakened at home, may also look abroad for wins, either via a trade deal with India or fresh pressure on it. The deal's fate, analysts say, is likely to be decided in the White House, irrespective of who controls Congress.Notably, just hours before this analysis was published, Trump signed an executive order waiving Russian sanctions and additional tariffs of up to 100% on goods from major importers of Russian oil and gas. India has long been one of the top buyers of discounted Russian crude and thus received relief from the 100% tariff threat plaguing it. &nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-invokes-national-interest-to-waive-new-russia-sanctions-tariffs-india-gets-relief-from-100-tariff-threat-1792204806602">Trump invokes national interest to waive new Russia sanctions, tariffs; India gets relief from 100% tariff threat</a><h2>What's next</h2>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit India from October 17 to 22, when two-way talks could make some progress. Modi and Trump, who spoke by phone on September 30, are expected to speak again soon, with Modi expected to visit the US in December for a G20 leaders' meet. &nbsp;

Eight months after the 18% tariff settlement, the India-US trade deal remains unsigned. With the midterms due November 3, the pact's fate hinges on which party controls Congress. One outcome closes it, another freezes it till 2029. Find out which.



Eight months after Washington and New Delhi settled on an 18 per cent tariff, the full India-US bilateral trade agreement remains unsigned. With the US midterm elections due on November 3, the unfinished half of the deal now hinges on which party controls Congress for the second half of Donald Trump's presidency. The first tranche of the deal has been finalised and is undergoing legal drafting, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday (Oct 15), reiterating that India would proceed only once it secures an advantage over competing exporters like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia. "The US bilateral trade agreement first tranche has been finalised. It's going through final contours, the legal drafting, and we hope to be able to finalise that soon and operationalise that once we get comparable advantage or competitive advantage over our peer countries," Goyal, addressing the SRCC Centenary Conclave in Delhi, said. But momentum has been uneven. Trade talks have reached a "plateau" with little room to manoeuvre, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said earlier this month, days after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer cautioned that a deal was not "imminent". Neither side has publicly detailed the reasons for the delay. Sitharaman's statement, notably, was New Delhi's strongest public acknowledgement that talks on key issues have stalled the deal both nations have sought since February 2025. Can this change after the midterms? Let's have a look. Also read | US says trade deal with India is 'very, very close'. What's holding it up? | WION Decodes India-US trade deal: What the US midterms can change All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of 100 Senate seats are up for election on November 3. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin House majority of 218 seats (the exact number of seats needed for a majority) to 214 Democratic seats (with 2 vacancies). In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. This means that Democrats only need a net gain of three to four seats to flip the upper chamber. Forecasts favour the Democrats in the House, where the Cook Political Report expects them to gain between five and 15 seats. The Senate is closer, with Democrats narrowly ahead in Texas, Iowa and Michigan. This means that for India, the stakes are concrete. The US is India's largest export market, with goods exports rising to $42.79 billion in April-August from $40.39 billion a year earlier, and a trade surplus of nearly $34 billion in fiscal 2025/26. Also read | Trump's $100,000 H-1B fee: Why neither Republicans nor Democrats want to make it a 2026 US Midterm issue Republican win or Democratic win: Which outcome closes the deal? A September 2026 study by Anil Raman for the Takshashila Institution, based on 42 interviews in Washington, found that support for India in Congress is "broad but shallow". Research by Paul Staniland, a professor at the University of Chicago who was interviewed for the paper, showed a structural condition: "Public support for India is broad but shallow, while within the ruling coalition sits an intense minority whose organising concern is restricting immigration". Groups opposed to cheap imports, skilled migration and Russian oil money are smaller, but they care more, and they vote, the study notes. A Democratic House could ease the treatment of Indian students and workers and press to end the war that has raised India's oil bill, but it is unlikely to change the tariffs or the Russia law. Alternatively, if Republicans lose control of the House, Trump, a president weakened at home, may also look abroad for wins, either via a trade deal with India or fresh pressure on it. The deal's fate, analysts say, is likely to be decided in the White House, irrespective of who controls Congress. Notably, just hours before this analysis was published, Trump signed an executive order waiving Russian sanctions and additional tariffs of up to 100% on goods from major importers of Russian oil and gas. India has long been one of the top buyers of discounted Russian crude and thus received relief from the 100% tariff threat plaguing it. Also read | Trump invokes national interest to waive new Russia sanctions, tariffs; India gets relief from 100% tariff threat What's next US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit India from October 17 to 22, when two-way talks could make some progress. Modi and Trump, who spoke by phone on September 30, are expected to speak again soon, with Modi expected to visit the US in December for a G20 leaders' meet.

Eight months after the 18% tariff settlement, the India-US trade deal remains unsigned. With the midterms due November 3, the pact's fate hinges on which party controls Congress. One outcome closes it, another freezes it till 2029. Find out which.

'Big items are done' but no signature: How US midterms could decide the India-US trade deal

After months of tariff disputes and diplomatic tensions, India and the United States have announced significant progress towards a trade agreement. But the real question is not simply whether the two countries can reach a deal. It is whether the terms will deliver meaningful benefits without compromising their respective economic priorities.India and the United States appear closer to concluding the first phase of a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement.On Thursday, India's Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal announced that the initial phase had been finalised at the negotiating level and was undergoing legal drafting.Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also expressed optimism, while stressing the importance of securing a competitive advantage for India before the arrangement becomes operational.The announcement represents a significant change in tone.Only ten days earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had described negotiations as having reached a plateau, with limited room for further concessions.Now, the two governments are signalling progress.But what changed? And what will each side ultimately receive?&nbsp;<h2>The tariff battle</h2>&nbsp;At the centre of negotiations is a familiar disagreement over market access.Washington wants greater opportunities for American businesses and exporters in India.New Delhi wants more favourable and predictable access to the US market, which remains a critical destination for Indian exports.American tariffs have complicated that relationship, creating uncertainty for Indian manufacturers and exporters competing internationally.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-s-tariff-strategy-faces-new-test-india-wants-preferential-access-and-tariff-stability-1792080310666/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-s-tariff-strategy-faces-new-test-india-wants-preferential-access-and-tariff-stability-1792080310666/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;For businesses, tariff stability matters almost as much as tariff reductions.Companies need predictable costs before making decisions about production, hiring and investment.A trade agreement that improves market access could strengthen commercial ties and encourage greater bilateral investment.But those benefits depend on the precise commitments made by both governments.&nbsp;<h2>The Russian oil contradiction</h2>&nbsp;Energy security remains one of the most sensitive issues in India-US relations.Washington has repeatedly raised objections to India's purchases of Russian crude, arguing that energy revenues help sustain Moscow's war in Ukraine.India maintains that its energy decisions must reflect national requirements, affordability and supply security.The disagreement has become more complicated following Washington's own move towards purchasing Russian diesel.Critics have questioned the consistency of threatening penalties against Russian energy buyers while pursuing a separate arrangement involving Russian fuel.However, the commercial and legal circumstances of those transactions may differ.The relevant question is whether Washington's energy policy will translate into additional trade demands on New Delhi.So far, the final agreement's provisions have not been publicly disclosed.That uncertainty makes it premature to conclude that India has either conceded or prevailed on the Russian oil issue.&nbsp;<h2>Strategic autonomy meets economic reality</h2>&nbsp;For India, the negotiations extend beyond tariffs.New Delhi has long sought to maintain relationships with competing global powers without becoming dependent on any single partner.The United States is important for technology, defence cooperation, investment and access to global markets.Russia remains relevant to India's energy and defence interests.China, meanwhile, continues to shape the wider strategic environment in which India operates.Balancing those relationships is not always straightforward.A trade agreement with Washington could strengthen India's economic position.But policymakers must also consider whether its terms preserve flexibility in other areas of foreign policy.For the Trump administration, the negotiations offer an opportunity to demonstrate that its tariff strategy can produce commercial concessions and stronger economic partnerships.For the Modi government, the objective is to secure tangible benefits for Indian exporters and businesses while protecting sensitive domestic interests.Neither outcome can be assessed properly without examining the final text.&nbsp;<h2>Rubio's visit and the next diplomatic test</h2>&nbsp;US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit India as part of an October 17–22 trip that also includes Uzbekistan.His discussions are expected to cover energy cooperation, commercial investment and the broader strategic partnership.The timing adds diplomatic significance to the trade announcement.But Rubio's visit should not be confused with the formal conclusion of the agreement.Legal drafting, approval procedures and implementation arrangements remain important steps.Businesses will be watching for clarity on tariffs, sector-specific commitments and the timetable for implementation.&nbsp;<h2>The Verdict</h2>&nbsp;India and the United States have strong reasons to deepen their economic partnership.Both countries benefit from trade, investment, technology cooperation and more resilient supply chains.Yet a successful agreement must be judged by more than diplomatic announcements or political celebrations.Will Indian exporters gain meaningful access to the American market?Will businesses receive the tariff stability they need?Will the agreement strengthen economic cooperation without creating unnecessary constraints on India's policy choices?And will American companies gain the opportunities Washington has been seeking?Those questions matter more than which leader claims credit.Because the measure of a successful trade agreement is not how quickly it is announced, but whether its terms produce lasting, measurable benefits.The real price of the Trump–Modi deal will become clear when the fine print is made public.

Washington has repeatedly raised objections to New Delhi's purchases of Russian crude, arguing that the energy revenues help sustain Moscow's war in Ukraine. India maintains that its energy decisions must reflect national requirements, affordability and supply security.

After months of tariff disputes and diplomatic tensions, India and the United States have announced significant progress towards a trade agreement. But the real question is not simply whether the two countries can reach a deal. It is whether the terms will deliver meaningful benefits without compromising their respective economic priorities. India and the United States appear closer to concluding the first phase of a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement. On Thursday, India's Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal announced that the initial phase had been finalised at the negotiating level and was undergoing legal drafting. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also expressed optimism, while stressing the importance of securing a competitive advantage for India before the arrangement becomes operational. The announcement represents a significant change in tone. Only ten days earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had described negotiations as having reached a plateau, with limited room for further concessions. Now, the two governments are signalling progress. But what changed? And what will each side ultimately receive? The tariff battle At the centre of negotiations is a familiar disagreement over market access. Washington wants greater opportunities for American businesses and exporters in India. New Delhi wants more favourable and predictable access to the US market, which remains a critical destination for Indian exports. American tariffs have complicated that relationship, creating uncertainty for Indian manufacturers and exporters competing internationally. https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-s-tariff-strategy-faces-new-test-india-wants-preferential-access-and-tariff-stability-1792080310666/embed For businesses, tariff stability matters almost as much as tariff reductions. Companies need predictable costs before making decisions about production, hiring and investment. A trade agreement that improves market access could strengthen commercial ties and encourage greater bilateral investment. But those benefits depend on the precise commitments made by both governments. The Russian oil contradiction Energy security remains one of the most sensitive issues in India-US relations. Washington has repeatedly raised objections to India's purchases of Russian crude, arguing that energy revenues help sustain Moscow's war in Ukraine. India maintains that its energy decisions must reflect national requirements, affordability and supply security. The disagreement has become more complicated following Washington's own move towards purchasing Russian diesel. Critics have questioned the consistency of threatening penalties against Russian energy buyers while pursuing a separate arrangement involving Russian fuel. However, the commercial and legal circumstances of those transactions may differ. The relevant question is whether Washington's energy policy will translate into additional trade demands on New Delhi. So far, the final agreement's provisions have not been publicly disclosed. That uncertainty makes it premature to conclude that India has either conceded or prevailed on the Russian oil issue. Strategic autonomy meets economic reality For India, the negotiations extend beyond tariffs. New Delhi has long sought to maintain relationships with competing global powers without becoming dependent on any single partner. The United States is important for technology, defence cooperation, investment and access to global markets. Russia remains relevant to India's energy and defence interests. China, meanwhile, continues to shape the wider strategic environment in which India operates. Balancing those relationships is not always straightforward. A trade agreement with Washington could strengthen India's economic position. But policymakers must also consider whether its terms preserve flexibility in other areas of foreign policy. For the Trump administration, the negotiations offer an opportunity to demonstrate that its tariff strategy can produce commercial concessions and stronger economic partnerships. For the Modi government, the objective is to secure tangible benefits for Indian exporters and businesses while protecting sensitive domestic interests. Neither outcome can be assessed properly without examining the final text. Rubio's visit and the next diplomatic test US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit India as part of an October 17–22 trip that also includes Uzbekistan. His discussions are expected to cover energy cooperation, commercial investment and the broader strategic partnership. The timing adds diplomatic significance to the trade announcement. But Rubio's visit should not be confused with the formal conclusion of the agreement. Legal drafting, approval procedures and implementation arrangements remain important steps. Businesses will be watching for clarity on tariffs, sector-specific commitments and the timetable for implementation. The Verdict India and the United States have strong reasons to deepen their economic partnership. Both countries benefit from trade, investment, technology cooperation and more resilient supply chains. Yet a successful agreement must be judged by more than diplomatic announcements or political celebrations. Will Indian exporters gain meaningful access to the American market? Will businesses receive the tariff stability they need? Will the agreement strengthen economic cooperation without creating unnecessary constraints on India's policy choices? And will American companies gain the opportunities Washington has been seeking? Those questions matter more than which leader claims credit. Because the measure of a successful trade agreement is not how quickly it is announced, but whether its terms produce lasting, measurable benefits. The real price of the Trump–Modi deal will become clear when the fine print is made public.

Washington has repeatedly raised objections to New Delhi's purchases of Russian crude, arguing that the energy revenues help sustain Moscow's war in Ukraine. India maintains that its energy decisions must reflect national requirements, affordability and supply security.

The Verdict | Trump, Modi and the price of a deal: Is India finally getting a fair bargain?

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that the India-US trade deal has cleared its first phase and moved to the legal drafting stage while expressing hope that the process would be completed soon. The pact would be operationalised once India gains a competitive advantage over its peer countries, he said.&nbsp;“US bilateral trade agreement’s first tranche has been finalised and it is going through final contours, the legal drafting and we hope to be able to finalise that soon and operationalise that once we get the competitive advantage over our peer countries,” Goyal said while addressing the SRCC Centenary Conclave in Delhi.&nbsp;&nbsp;India and the US have held prolonged negotiations over a bilateral trade agreement. The two countries had announced a framework for an interim trade deal in February, but the agreement has not yet been operationalised.&nbsp;Goyal had earlier said that changing global circumstances would need to be taken into account while finalising the pact. He described India-US relations as “very good” and said he did not see any problem in bilateral ties, despite the delay in concluding the trade agreement.&nbsp;Goyal has repeatedly maintained that India needs to secure a competitive position for its exporters in the US market before the agreement is implemented.&nbsp;<h2>India-EU trade deal expected in December</h2>&nbsp;Goyal also shared that the India-European Union free trade agreement would be signed in December and come into force in February or March next year.India and the 27-member European Union had announced the conclusion of negotiations for the trade pact earlier this year. The agreement is expected to deepen trade ties and improve market access for businesses on both sides.The proposed India-EU pact is part of India's broader efforts to expand trade ties with major economies amid changes in global trade and tariff policies.&nbsp;India and the US have been negotiating a proposed bilateral trade agreement since early 2025.&nbsp;India has been pushing for more favourable tariff terms for its exports to the US than those available to competing economies.&nbsp;<h2>‘Incredible’ pace of negotiations, says US Ambassador Sergio Gor</h2>&nbsp;Earlier in the day, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also said that the two nations have cleared the major items on their trade deal checklist. Gor described the pace of negotiations as “incredible.”&nbsp;Gor also spoke about the US legislation that could pave the way for sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas or helping others evade sanctions. He said US President Donald Trump was expected to decide on the matter within the next 10 days. Gor said the provisions were not aimed at any particular country, including India.&nbsp;&nbsp;“...We have ongoing discussions on that as it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. That law got 86 votes out of 100 in our Senate... These sanctions options that Congress passed, they are not targeted at any individual country. It is three different buckets; one is oil, the second is gas, the third is sanctions evasion.”&nbsp;Gor said the intention was to end the war rather than punish any country.&nbsp;“It just happens that India does fall in one of those buckets, along with a lot of other countries. The goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war. I do think the president will make a determination on that over the next few days.”&nbsp;Gor said India offered significant opportunities for American businesses, citing the size of its market and the government’s approach to foreign investment.

India and the United States have been negotiating a proposed bilateral trade agreement since early 2025. New Delhi has been pushing for more favourable tariff terms for its exports to the US than those available to competing economies.

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that the India-US trade deal has cleared its first phase and moved to the legal drafting stage while expressing hope that the process would be completed soon. The pact would be operationalised once India gains a competitive advantage over its peer countries, he said. “US bilateral trade agreement’s first tranche has been finalised and it is going through final contours, the legal drafting and we hope to be able to finalise that soon and operationalise that once we get the competitive advantage over our peer countries,” Goyal said while addressing the SRCC Centenary Conclave in Delhi. India and the US have held prolonged negotiations over a bilateral trade agreement. The two countries had announced a framework for an interim trade deal in February, but the agreement has not yet been operationalised. Goyal had earlier said that changing global circumstances would need to be taken into account while finalising the pact. He described India-US relations as “very good” and said he did not see any problem in bilateral ties, despite the delay in concluding the trade agreement. Goyal has repeatedly maintained that India needs to secure a competitive position for its exporters in the US market before the agreement is implemented. India-EU trade deal expected in December Goyal also shared that the India-European Union free trade agreement would be signed in December and come into force in February or March next year. India and the 27-member European Union had announced the conclusion of negotiations for the trade pact earlier this year. The agreement is expected to deepen trade ties and improve market access for businesses on both sides. The proposed India-EU pact is part of India's broader efforts to expand trade ties with major economies amid changes in global trade and tariff policies. India and the US have been negotiating a proposed bilateral trade agreement since early 2025. India has been pushing for more favourable tariff terms for its exports to the US than those available to competing economies. ‘Incredible’ pace of negotiations, says US Ambassador Sergio Gor Earlier in the day, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also said that the two nations have cleared the major items on their trade deal checklist. Gor described the pace of negotiations as “incredible.” Gor also spoke about the US legislation that could pave the way for sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas or helping others evade sanctions. He said US President Donald Trump was expected to decide on the matter within the next 10 days. Gor said the provisions were not aimed at any particular country, including India. “...We have ongoing discussions on that as it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. That law got 86 votes out of 100 in our Senate... These sanctions options that Congress passed, they are not targeted at any individual country. It is three different buckets; one is oil, the second is gas, the third is sanctions evasion.” Gor said the intention was to end the war rather than punish any country. “It just happens that India does fall in one of those buckets, along with a lot of other countries. The goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war. I do think the president will make a determination on that over the next few days.” Gor said India offered significant opportunities for American businesses, citing the size of its market and the government’s approach to foreign investment.

India and the United States have been negotiating a proposed bilateral trade agreement since early 2025. New Delhi has been pushing for more favourable tariff terms for its exports to the US than those available to competing economies.

India-US trade deal: First phase finalised, legal drafting under way, says Piyush Goyal

India-US trade deal talks have reached a "plateau,", said Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on October 5. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she claimed that a concessions or a reciprocal give-and-take from either side would be "very very difficult." She added that Washington wants to reduce deficit with India, and address perceived past losses."It's been a hard and very rigorously negotiated agreement. The negotiations are still ongoing. Although we'd like to believe that both sides have reached a plateau beyond which giving or taking might be very very difficult," said Sitharaman. "But maybe if there are rooms to operate from both sides would do it."US is one of the very few nation with which India runs a trade surplus. In the 2025-26 financial year, bilateral trade between the two nations hit a record $140.80 billion. India's exports to the US reached $87.32 billion while imports from the US stood at $53.49 billion. The US has been seeking to narrow its trade deficit with India, while New Delhi has been looking to secure greater market access and protect areas considered sensitive.Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-police-acp-vivek-bhagat-promoted-additional-dcp-journalist-harassment-1791218843042">'Rewarded for molestation?': Delhi Police ACP accused of harassing journalist promoted to Additional DCP</a>"Negotiation used to be the only platform through which countries could highlight the discrepancies, highlight the lopsidedness, and say would we want to correct this. And how would you correct it because you have demand in your country, I can supply, so open up on that," she said.“Now the imbalance is being sought to be addressed through other means, where you rightly said tariff has become weaponised,” said Nirmala sitharaman.Contrastingly India runs a massive trade deficit with India which has continued to widen since 2014. The bilateral trade volume between India and China for 2025-26 is at $151.10 billion. Driven by a 16% surge in industrial imports, China overtook the US to become India's single largest trading partner. While India runs a $112.16 billion deficit with China.&nbsp;"The trade imbalance with China for India, for instance, since 2014 has been growing exponentially," she said. "So I can probably take the same position with China because it's so lopsided it is terribly against me. But, no - you can't. You will have to talk it out. You will have to negotiate. You will have to have some give and take. That's the difference."On Saturday, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that India-US trade deal was at final stages but not “imminent”.The current impasse follows a foundational framework for an interim trade agreement that both nations officially announced in February 2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India-US trade deal talks have reached a “plateau”, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, citing difficulties over further concessions and trade imbalances.

India-US trade deal talks have reached a "plateau,", said Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on October 5. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she claimed that a concessions or a reciprocal give-and-take from either side would be "very very difficult." She added that Washington wants to reduce deficit with India, and address perceived past losses. "It's been a hard and very rigorously negotiated agreement. The negotiations are still ongoing. Although we'd like to believe that both sides have reached a plateau beyond which giving or taking might be very very difficult," said Sitharaman. "But maybe if there are rooms to operate from both sides would do it." US is one of the very few nation with which India runs a trade surplus. In the 2025-26 financial year, bilateral trade between the two nations hit a record $140.80 billion. India's exports to the US reached $87.32 billion while imports from the US stood at $53.49 billion. The US has been seeking to narrow its trade deficit with India, while New Delhi has been looking to secure greater market access and protect areas considered sensitive. Also Read:'Rewarded for molestation?': Delhi Police ACP accused of harassing journalist promoted to Additional DCP "Negotiation used to be the only platform through which countries could highlight the discrepancies, highlight the lopsidedness, and say would we want to correct this. And how would you correct it because you have demand in your country, I can supply, so open up on that," she said. “Now the imbalance is being sought to be addressed through other means, where you rightly said tariff has become weaponised,” said Nirmala sitharaman. Contrastingly India runs a massive trade deficit with India which has continued to widen since 2014. The bilateral trade volume between India and China for 2025-26 is at $151.10 billion. Driven by a 16% surge in industrial imports, China overtook the US to become India's single largest trading partner. While India runs a $112.16 billion deficit with China. "The trade imbalance with China for India, for instance, since 2014 has been growing exponentially," she said. "So I can probably take the same position with China because it's so lopsided it is terribly against me. But, no - you can't. You will have to talk it out. You will have to negotiate. You will have to have some give and take. That's the difference." On Saturday, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that India-US trade deal was at final stages but not “imminent”.The current impasse follows a foundational framework for an interim trade agreement that both nations officially announced in February 2026.

India-US trade deal talks have reached a “plateau”, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, citing difficulties over further concessions and trade imbalances.

India-US trade deal talks hit ‘plateau’, Nirmala Sitharaman says

The New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit condemned "unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures" as against international law, but never named the US. It seems like a deliberate move to avoid straining member nations' bilateral trade relationships, especially for India, which chaired the BRICS summit. This comes as India is negotiating a trade deal with the US and seeking competitive rates to those offered to Vietnam and Bangladesh.&nbsp;The tariff-criticism language is vague, so Washington has no direct textual trigger to retaliate against India specifically, unlike Rio 2025, where Trump followed the joint statement almost immediately with an actual 50 per cent tariff on Brazil, tied explicitly to that summit's "anti-American policies" framing.India formally ruled out the creation of a common BRICS currency. It instead advocated for settling bilateral trade in local currencies. Indian officials have repeatedly stressed India has "no plans to challenge the US dollar's global dominance". Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and the MEA emphasised that India's focus is purely transactional, not political. However, its active role in developing the BRICS Cross-Border Payment System to facilitate local currency routing still walks a precarious line with Washington. This is more likely to trigger Trump's reaction than the softened Iran or Gaza language, as Trump has previously also warned about tariffs tracking currency moves.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/neet-ug-computer-based-test-cbt-omr-sheets-nta-1789319006274">NEET-UG to move to computer-based test soon, NTA DG says ‘CBT is the future’</a>Overall, the declaration appears unlikely to change anything; what can change is the optics. Modi was flanked by Xi and Putin, deepening a $100B Russia trade target and hosting Iran while holding Pezeshkian's hand, as its own $500B+ trade negotiation with Washington remains unresolved.&nbsp;US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched “Economic Outcast” in late August to isolate the Iranian economy. The US has already moved past warnings and penalised four Indian entities directly in late August. Meanwhile, Modi has discussed with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO, and explicitly expressed New Delhi's resolve to "expand and diversify" bilateral trade channels with Iran. Though how much of this is mere rhetoric and how much is deliverable remains to be seen.Trump has yet to directly make any comment on BRICS; he shrugged off the bilateral meeting between Iran and the UAE. But as past instances from Rio indicate, Trump reacts to these symbolic moves just like he does to substance.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The BRICS declaration condemned unilateral tariffs without naming the US as India balances trade negotiations with Washington and ties with Russia and Iran.

The New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit condemned "unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures" as against international law, but never named the US. It seems like a deliberate move to avoid straining member nations' bilateral trade relationships, especially for India, which chaired the BRICS summit. This comes as India is negotiating a trade deal with the US and seeking competitive rates to those offered to Vietnam and Bangladesh. The tariff-criticism language is vague, so Washington has no direct textual trigger to retaliate against India specifically, unlike Rio 2025, where Trump followed the joint statement almost immediately with an actual 50 per cent tariff on Brazil, tied explicitly to that summit's "anti-American policies" framing. India formally ruled out the creation of a common BRICS currency. It instead advocated for settling bilateral trade in local currencies. Indian officials have repeatedly stressed India has "no plans to challenge the US dollar's global dominance". Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and the MEA emphasised that India's focus is purely transactional, not political. However, its active role in developing the BRICS Cross-Border Payment System to facilitate local currency routing still walks a precarious line with Washington. This is more likely to trigger Trump's reaction than the softened Iran or Gaza language, as Trump has previously also warned about tariffs tracking currency moves. Also Read: NEET-UG to move to computer-based test soon, NTA DG says ‘CBT is the future’ Overall, the declaration appears unlikely to change anything; what can change is the optics. Modi was flanked by Xi and Putin, deepening a $100B Russia trade target and hosting Iran while holding Pezeshkian's hand, as its own $500B+ trade negotiation with Washington remains unresolved. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched “Economic Outcast” in late August to isolate the Iranian economy. The US has already moved past warnings and penalised four Indian entities directly in late August. Meanwhile, Modi has discussed with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian readiness to closely cooperate with Iran in multilateral organisations, including BRICS and SCO, and explicitly expressed New Delhi's resolve to "expand and diversify" bilateral trade channels with Iran. Though how much of this is mere rhetoric and how much is deliverable remains to be seen. Trump has yet to directly make any comment on BRICS; he shrugged off the bilateral meeting between Iran and the UAE. But as past instances from Rio indicate, Trump reacts to these symbolic moves just like he does to substance.

The BRICS declaration condemned unilateral tariffs without naming the US as India balances trade negotiations with Washington and ties with Russia and Iran.

Did India risk its US trade deal despite softer stance at BRICS?

India has made it clear that it will not rush to close its trade agreement with the United States unless Indian exporters get a stronger tariff advantage over businesses from competing countries.&nbsp;Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that New Delhi was waiting for Washington to offer preferential tariff treatment before finalising the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).&nbsp;"As soon as the US is able to give us the preferential rate in comparison to our competition, we will finalise the BTA and announce the final details," Goyal said while speaking at a national workshop under the Leveraging FTAs Outreach programme.&nbsp;The minister's remarks highlight India's focus on securing competitive market access for its exporters rather than simply lowering tariffs under the proposed deal.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-belgian-pm-planned-unique-gift-for-pm-modi-but-it-melted-away-on-journey-to-india-1788442292821">Watch: Belgian PM planned unique gift for PM Modi, but it melted away on journey to India</a><h2>India wants better terms for exporters</h2>Goyal said the value of a trade agreement depends on how effectively it helps domestic companies compete in international markets.&nbsp;India has particularly faced a disadvantage in sectors such as textiles, where exporters from countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam enjoy preferential tariff access in several key markets.&nbsp;The proposed India-US agreement covers a broad range of areas, including tariffs and market access, digital trade, non-tariff barriers, supply chains and cooperation in strategic sectors.&nbsp;The negotiations gained momentum earlier this year after India and the US announced a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade in February.&nbsp;US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer visited New Delhi from June 22 to 24 and held discussions with Goyal on the key elements of the proposed deal. The two sides reviewed progress on market access, digital trade, supply-chain resilience and non-tariff barriers.&nbsp;Both countries said their negotiating teams had made substantial progress and reiterated their aim of reaching a balanced agreement with meaningful commercial benefits.&nbsp;The scale of the relationship has also raised the stakes in the negotiations. India's goods exports to the US stood at $103.82 billion in 2025, while US goods exports to India were around $45.6 billion. Bilateral goods trade between the two countries totalled $149.42 billion during the year.

India will finalise its trade deal with the US only after Washington offers Indian exporters preferential tariff terms compared with their competitors, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said.

India has made it clear that it will not rush to close its trade agreement with the United States unless Indian exporters get a stronger tariff advantage over businesses from competing countries. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that New Delhi was waiting for Washington to offer preferential tariff treatment before finalising the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). "As soon as the US is able to give us the preferential rate in comparison to our competition, we will finalise the BTA and announce the final details," Goyal said while speaking at a national workshop under the Leveraging FTAs Outreach programme. The minister's remarks highlight India's focus on securing competitive market access for its exporters rather than simply lowering tariffs under the proposed deal. Also Read: Watch: Belgian PM planned unique gift for PM Modi, but it melted away on journey to India India wants better terms for exporters Goyal said the value of a trade agreement depends on how effectively it helps domestic companies compete in international markets. India has particularly faced a disadvantage in sectors such as textiles, where exporters from countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam enjoy preferential tariff access in several key markets. The proposed India-US agreement covers a broad range of areas, including tariffs and market access, digital trade, non-tariff barriers, supply chains and cooperation in strategic sectors. The negotiations gained momentum earlier this year after India and the US announced a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade in February. US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer visited New Delhi from June 22 to 24 and held discussions with Goyal on the key elements of the proposed deal. The two sides reviewed progress on market access, digital trade, supply-chain resilience and non-tariff barriers. Both countries said their negotiating teams had made substantial progress and reiterated their aim of reaching a balanced agreement with meaningful commercial benefits. The scale of the relationship has also raised the stakes in the negotiations. India's goods exports to the US stood at $103.82 billion in 2025, while US goods exports to India were around $45.6 billion. Bilateral goods trade between the two countries totalled $149.42 billion during the year.

India will finalise its trade deal with the US only after Washington offers Indian exporters preferential tariff terms compared with their competitors, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said.

‘As soon as we get preferential tariffs...’: India’s key condition for trade deal with US

The second week of Parliament's Monsoon Session is expected to witness intense political confrontation after the first week was disrupted by nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Although the protests have ended following the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the opposition is preparing to raise fresh questions over the alleged use of force by Delhi Police during the July 20 protest march.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking answers on the alleged deployment of pellet guns and plainclothes personnel against protesting students. Congress and other opposition parties are also expected to raise issues including the alleged Ram Janmabhoomi embezzlement case, the proposed India–US trade agreement, agricultural concerns, ethanol policy, and fresh protests planned by transport operators.

Parliament Monsoon Session Set for Showdown | Rahul Gandhi Targets Amit Shah | Kargil Vijay Diwas 

India is likely to seek a sunset clause in its proposed interim trade agreement with the United States, mirroring a provision included in the recent trade arrangement between the European Union and the US. The move comes as countries negotiating trade deals with Washington increasingly seek safeguards against future policy changes.&nbsp;The discussion follows a recent decision by the European Parliament to include a sunset clause in legislation implementing the tariff provisions of the EU-US trade arrangement. Under the provision, the agreement will automatically expire on December 31, 2029, unless both sides agree to extend it.&nbsp;A sunset clause is a provision in an international trade agreement that sets an automatic expiry date unless all participating countries explicitly agree to renew it. While free trade agreements have traditionally remained in force indefinitely, countries negotiating with the administration of US President Donald Trump are increasingly insisting on such clauses as a protective mechanism.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-trade-deal-in-final-stages-us-envoy-says-talks-are-down-to-the-last-1-or-2-1782777789367">India-US trade deal in final stages: US envoy says talks are down to the last 1 or 2%</a><h2>Why are countries seeking sunset clauses?</h2>Countries negotiating trade agreements with the United States say they face uncertainty because of Washington's frequent use of unilateral tariffs, including Section 301 and Section 232 measures, as well as changing trade policies. Instead of committing to a permanent arrangement, governments are seeking a sunset clause that provides an automatic exit if the agreement is no longer beneficial.&nbsp;The provision is intended to prevent a situation where trading partners reduce their own trade barriers while continuing to face new tariffs imposed by the United States. It also creates an opportunity to reassess the agreement after a fixed period instead of requiring a politically difficult termination process.&nbsp;Supporters of the approach describe it as a defensive safeguard that allows governments to protect their domestic industries while maintaining flexibility in future trade negotiations.<h2>EU and USMCA offer recent examples</h2>The European Parliament recently incorporated the Turnberry trade framework with the United States into law and attached a sunset clause covering tariff concessions on industrial and agricultural goods. The provision requires those concessions to expire on December 31, 2029, unless both sides decide to renew the arrangement.&nbsp;The European Union said that because Trump's trade policies are fluid, it "makes no sense to have legislation based on an unfair deal forever." The legislation also requires a comprehensive review by the middle of 2029 before any extension can be approved.&nbsp;A similar mechanism was introduced by the Trump administration during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The resulting United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement included a 16-year sunset clause along with a mandatory joint review every six years.&nbsp;Supporters say sunset clauses offer three main advantages. They give countries leverage by preventing the United States from securing long-term market access while imposing separate tariffs, provide a safety mechanism if domestic industries are hurt by American imports, and allow a review of the agreement in 2029 at the end of the current political cycle in Washington.

The European Parliament approved the Turnberry trade framework with the United States, including a sunset clause that expires tariff concessions on December 31, 2029, unless renewed by both sides.

India is likely to seek a sunset clause in its proposed interim trade agreement with the United States, mirroring a provision included in the recent trade arrangement between the European Union and the US. The move comes as countries negotiating trade deals with Washington increasingly seek safeguards against future policy changes. The discussion follows a recent decision by the European Parliament to include a sunset clause in legislation implementing the tariff provisions of the EU-US trade arrangement. Under the provision, the agreement will automatically expire on December 31, 2029, unless both sides agree to extend it. A sunset clause is a provision in an international trade agreement that sets an automatic expiry date unless all participating countries explicitly agree to renew it. While free trade agreements have traditionally remained in force indefinitely, countries negotiating with the administration of US President Donald Trump are increasingly insisting on such clauses as a protective mechanism. Also Read: India-US trade deal in final stages: US envoy says talks are down to the last 1 or 2% Why are countries seeking sunset clauses? Countries negotiating trade agreements with the United States say they face uncertainty because of Washington's frequent use of unilateral tariffs, including Section 301 and Section 232 measures, as well as changing trade policies. Instead of committing to a permanent arrangement, governments are seeking a sunset clause that provides an automatic exit if the agreement is no longer beneficial. The provision is intended to prevent a situation where trading partners reduce their own trade barriers while continuing to face new tariffs imposed by the United States. It also creates an opportunity to reassess the agreement after a fixed period instead of requiring a politically difficult termination process. Supporters of the approach describe it as a defensive safeguard that allows governments to protect their domestic industries while maintaining flexibility in future trade negotiations. EU and USMCA offer recent examples The European Parliament recently incorporated the Turnberry trade framework with the United States into law and attached a sunset clause covering tariff concessions on industrial and agricultural goods. The provision requires those concessions to expire on December 31, 2029, unless both sides decide to renew the arrangement. The European Union said that because Trump's trade policies are fluid, it "makes no sense to have legislation based on an unfair deal forever." The legislation also requires a comprehensive review by the middle of 2029 before any extension can be approved. A similar mechanism was introduced by the Trump administration during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The resulting United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement included a 16-year sunset clause along with a mandatory joint review every six years. Supporters say sunset clauses offer three main advantages. They give countries leverage by preventing the United States from securing long-term market access while imposing separate tariffs, provide a safety mechanism if domestic industries are hurt by American imports, and allow a review of the agreement in 2029 at the end of the current political cycle in Washington.

The European Parliament approved the Turnberry trade framework with the United States, including a sunset clause that expires tariff concessions on December 31, 2029, unless renewed by both sides.

What is the sunset clause in international trade that countries seek in deals with Trump's America?

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday (Jun 29) insisted that the “United States trusts India”. Speaking at the IX US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit 2026, the American envoy also revealed that the long-awaited India-US trade agreement is now in its final stretch, with only a handful of issues left to resolve.The remarks come amid intense speculation over the status of the interim trade deal, which has been under negotiation for roughly 18 months and is expected to play a key role in achieving the ambitious USD 500 billion bilateral trade target championed by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain from both sides, but it's in the last 1 or 2 per cent of that deal," Gor said.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-trade-deal-with-india-is-very-very-close-what-s-holding-it-up-wion-decodes-1782280167960">US says trade deal with India is 'very, very close'. What's holding it up? | WION Decodes</a><h2>'The US trusts India'</h2>Beyond trade, Gor used the summit to make a broader point about the state of the relationship. According to him, American businesses continue to raise familiar concerns before entering the Indian market. Questions about intellectual property protection, regulatory certainty and tax stability are routinely brought up during meetings at the US Embassy in New Delhi.Yet the envoy argued that confidence in India has never been stronger. "Not a week goes by where an American company comes to see me, and they ask me, 'Ambassador, is it safe to invest in India? Will our IP be protected here?'" Gor said.“It's an incredibly gratifying thing to say that the United States trusts India, we work with India, and we look forward to identifying those next opportunities for both of our sides.”"There is not a day that goes by that a new item pops up for the two countries to work together," he added, pointing to artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and defence cooperation as key areas of future growth. The comments amounted to one of the strongest public endorsements of India's investment climate by a senior US official in recent months.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-supreme-court-makes-it-easier-to-deport-green-card-holders-what-does-it-mean-for-indians-wion-horizons-1782271724642">US Supreme Court makes it easier to deport Green Card holders: What does it mean for Indians? | WION Horizons</a><h2>Trump remains deeply invested in the relationship with India&nbsp;</h2>Gor also offered a glimpse into discussions taking place at the highest levels of the Trump administration. The ambassador revealed that he recently spent two hours with President Donald Trump in Washington and said the US President continues to speak warmly about India and his previous visits to the country."He has very fond memories of India. His last visit was one of the most remarkable visits that he continues to talk about," Gor said.The envoy also disclosed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was so impressed by his first official visit to India in May that he is already planning a return trip before the end of the year.<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

US Ambassador Sergio Gor has revealed that the long-awaited India-US trade agreement is near completion, with negotiators working through the final 1-2% of the legal text. Speaking at the USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, Gor said a recent US Supreme Court intervention delayed the process.

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday (Jun 29) insisted that the “United States trusts India”. Speaking at the IX US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit 2026, the American envoy also revealed that the long-awaited India-US trade agreement is now in its final stretch, with only a handful of issues left to resolve. The remarks come amid intense speculation over the status of the interim trade deal, which has been under negotiation for roughly 18 months and is expected to play a key role in achieving the ambitious USD 500 billion bilateral trade target championed by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain from both sides, but it's in the last 1 or 2 per cent of that deal," Gor said. Also read | US says trade deal with India is 'very, very close'. What's holding it up? | WION Decodes 'The US trusts India' Beyond trade, Gor used the summit to make a broader point about the state of the relationship. According to him, American businesses continue to raise familiar concerns before entering the Indian market. Questions about intellectual property protection, regulatory certainty and tax stability are routinely brought up during meetings at the US Embassy in New Delhi. Yet the envoy argued that confidence in India has never been stronger. "Not a week goes by where an American company comes to see me, and they ask me, 'Ambassador, is it safe to invest in India? Will our IP be protected here?'" Gor said. “It's an incredibly gratifying thing to say that the United States trusts India, we work with India, and we look forward to identifying those next opportunities for both of our sides.” "There is not a day that goes by that a new item pops up for the two countries to work together," he added, pointing to artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and defence cooperation as key areas of future growth. The comments amounted to one of the strongest public endorsements of India's investment climate by a senior US official in recent months. Also read | US Supreme Court makes it easier to deport Green Card holders: What does it mean for Indians? | WION Horizons Trump remains deeply invested in the relationship with India Gor also offered a glimpse into discussions taking place at the highest levels of the Trump administration. The ambassador revealed that he recently spent two hours with President Donald Trump in Washington and said the US President continues to speak warmly about India and his previous visits to the country. "He has very fond memories of India. His last visit was one of the most remarkable visits that he continues to talk about," Gor said. The envoy also disclosed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was so impressed by his first official visit to India in May that he is already planning a return trip before the end of the year.

US Ambassador Sergio Gor has revealed that the long-awaited India-US trade agreement is near completion, with negotiators working through the final 1-2% of the legal text. Speaking at the USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, Gor said a recent US Supreme Court intervention delayed the process.

'The US trusts India,' says Sergio Gor, insists Trump remains deeply invested in ties

The proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement is in its final stage, with only a small portion of the legal text left to be completed, United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Monday.&nbsp;Speaking at the IX US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit 2026, Gor dismissed speculation about diplomatic differences and said negotiators from both countries were close to concluding the long-awaited agreement. He also said President Donald Trump remained committed to building a mutually beneficial partnership with India. The trade agreement has been under negotiation for around 18 months. Gor said the process faced a temporary setback after a recent Supreme Court intervention, but discussions regained momentum following the recent visit of US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Lee Greer to New Delhi.&nbsp;"That trade deal, we thought, was done until the Supreme Court decided to have another way," Ambassador Gor explained to the summit. "And so we continue to pursue that, and we are very close. Just last week, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Lee Greer visited us in New Delhi for two days, and we are hopefully in the final steps of this deal. Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain from both sides, but it's in the last 1 or 2 per cent of that deal."&nbsp;Gor also compared the pace of negotiations with Europe's experience, noting that the India-US agreement had progressed much faster.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-loses-top-court-bid-to-overturn-5-million-sexual-assault-verdict-what-is-the-e-jean-carroll-case-1782762005066">Trump loses top Court bid to overturn $5 million sexual assault verdict: What is the E. Jean Carroll case?</a>&nbsp;"People ask me why this is taking so long? We've been at this trade deal for a year and a half. To put it into perspective, the European trade deal took 20 years. And so no matter what, as long as we beat the European deal, I think we're in good shape."&nbsp;The ambassador's remarks came days after Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India would sign the agreement only after securing a framework that provides a comparative tariff advantage for Indian exports over competing countries.&nbsp;"We cannot enter a deal with the US until the framework of having a comparative advantage is finalised," Goyal said, adding "India and the United States are very ‌close ⁠to ⁠finalising a trade deal".&nbsp;During his address, Gor also highlighted the US Mission's investment achievements in India, saying it had helped secure 20.5 billion dollars in new investments into the United States this year.&nbsp;Highlighting the competition among US embassies to attract investment, Gor contrasted the figures achieved by the mission in New Delhi with those reported by several European embassies.&nbsp;"You have these beautiful embassies in Europe, and they come up on stage, and they say 'We're proud to announce five hundred million dollars', 'We're proud to announce seven hundred million dollars'," Ambassador Gor stated. "Our embassy in New Delhi, this year, was very proud to announce that we brought in twenty-five billion dollars in new investment."

Sergio Gor said the trade deal was briefly delayed by a Supreme Court intervention but regained momentum after Jamieson Lee Greer's New Delhi visit, with most of the agreement now complete.

The proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement is in its final stage, with only a small portion of the legal text left to be completed, United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Monday. Speaking at the IX US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit 2026, Gor dismissed speculation about diplomatic differences and said negotiators from both countries were close to concluding the long-awaited agreement. He also said President Donald Trump remained committed to building a mutually beneficial partnership with India. The trade agreement has been under negotiation for around 18 months. Gor said the process faced a temporary setback after a recent Supreme Court intervention, but discussions regained momentum following the recent visit of US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Lee Greer to New Delhi. "That trade deal, we thought, was done until the Supreme Court decided to have another way," Ambassador Gor explained to the summit. "And so we continue to pursue that, and we are very close. Just last week, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Lee Greer visited us in New Delhi for two days, and we are hopefully in the final steps of this deal. Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain from both sides, but it's in the last 1 or 2 per cent of that deal." Gor also compared the pace of negotiations with Europe's experience, noting that the India-US agreement had progressed much faster. Also Read: Trump loses top Court bid to overturn $5 million sexual assault verdict: What is the E. Jean Carroll case? "People ask me why this is taking so long? We've been at this trade deal for a year and a half. To put it into perspective, the European trade deal took 20 years. And so no matter what, as long as we beat the European deal, I think we're in good shape." The ambassador's remarks came days after Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India would sign the agreement only after securing a framework that provides a comparative tariff advantage for Indian exports over competing countries. "We cannot enter a deal with the US until the framework of having a comparative advantage is finalised," Goyal said, adding "India and the United States are very ‌close ⁠to ⁠finalising a trade deal". During his address, Gor also highlighted the US Mission's investment achievements in India, saying it had helped secure 20.5 billion dollars in new investments into the United States this year. Highlighting the competition among US embassies to attract investment, Gor contrasted the figures achieved by the mission in New Delhi with those reported by several European embassies. "You have these beautiful embassies in Europe, and they come up on stage, and they say 'We're proud to announce five hundred million dollars', 'We're proud to announce seven hundred million dollars'," Ambassador Gor stated. "Our embassy in New Delhi, this year, was very proud to announce that we brought in twenty-five billion dollars in new investment."

Sergio Gor said the trade deal was briefly delayed by a Supreme Court intervention but regained momentum after Jamieson Lee Greer's New Delhi visit, with most of the agreement now complete.

India-US trade deal in final stages: US envoy says talks are down to the last 1 or 2%

United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday that India is moving forward in technology and wants to cooperate and collaborate with the United States on the technologies of the future and trade of the future, and the two nations are looking ahead to the exciting opportunities ahead on this.&nbsp;Greer also underscored the United States’ commitment to advancing a constructive, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial economic partnership with India that boosts growth, opportunity, and prosperity in both countries.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-iran-has-told-no-tolls-insurance-costs-other-charges-being-sought-at-strait-of-hormuz-1782303977542">Trump says Iran has told ‘no tolls, insurance costs, other charges’ being sought at Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;Speaking about his impression of India, Jamieson Greer said, “We know that India has a long history of agriculture, of manufacturing, but we also know that they’re moving forward in technology. They want to move forward in AI. They want to cooperate and collaborate with the United States on the technologies of the future and trade of the future, and that’s some of the exciting opportunities that we’ll have between the United States and India, to capitalise on that.”&nbsp;On being asked how the Trump administration views the India-US relationship, Greer said President Trump and Prime Minister Modi share an amazing relationship that they have nurtured over many years and agreed to take it to the next level when they met recently at the G7 Summit in France.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-maritime-body-to-evacuate-11-000-seafarers-stranded-in-persian-gulf-since-us-iran-war-1782245543370">UN maritime body to evacuate 11,000 seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf since US-Iran war</a>&nbsp;“President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have an amazing relationship. They’ve nurtured it over many years. Just last week, they met at G7 in Evian, France, and I was there, and they agreed to take the relationship to the next level. This includes the trade deal that we’re working on, but it includes every aspect of the relationship, and we expect the relationship to continue developing and only going to a higher and higher level with every passing week.”&nbsp;The United States and India have reviewed progress on negotiations for a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with both sides reporting substantial advances and reaffirming their commitment to concluding an interim deal as a stepping stone toward a broader trade pact.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-s-pezeshkian-proposes-a-united-security-front-of-muslim-nations-against-their-enemies-1782241401664">Iran’s Pezeshkian proposes a united security front of Muslim nations against their enemies</a>&nbsp;Greer concluded a three-day visit to New Delhi on Wednesday, where he held multiple rounds of discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.&nbsp;&nbsp;A statement from the Ministry of Commerce said the two sides conducted a comprehensive review of key elements of the proposed trade agreement, including market access, digital trade, supply-chain resilience, reduction of non-tariff barriers and cooperation in strategic sectors.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-s-op-sindoor-lies-busted-iaf-document-proves-india-s-rafale-fleet-fully-intact-1782226973572">Pakistan’s Op Sindoor lies busted, IAF document proves India’s Rafale fleet fully intact</a>&nbsp;“The discussions focused on pathways to conclude an interim agreement as an important milestone toward a comprehensive BTA,” the ministry added.India and the US also reiterated their commitment to a pact that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;The two countries said they remain focused on expanding bilateral trade, promoting innovation and strengthening trusted supply chains amid changing global trade dynamics.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The United States and India have reviewed progress on negotiations for a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with both sides reporting substantial advances and reaffirming their commitment to concluding an interim deal as a stepping stone toward a broader trade pact.

United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday that India is moving forward in technology and wants to cooperate and collaborate with the United States on the technologies of the future and trade of the future, and the two nations are looking ahead to the exciting opportunities ahead on this. Greer also underscored the United States’ commitment to advancing a constructive, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial economic partnership with India that boosts growth, opportunity, and prosperity in both countries. Also Read: Trump says Iran has told ‘no tolls, insurance costs, other charges’ being sought at Strait of Hormuz Speaking about his impression of India, Jamieson Greer said, “We know that India has a long history of agriculture, of manufacturing, but we also know that they’re moving forward in technology. They want to move forward in AI. They want to cooperate and collaborate with the United States on the technologies of the future and trade of the future, and that’s some of the exciting opportunities that we’ll have between the United States and India, to capitalise on that.” On being asked how the Trump administration views the India-US relationship, Greer said President Trump and Prime Minister Modi share an amazing relationship that they have nurtured over many years and agreed to take it to the next level when they met recently at the G7 Summit in France. Also Read: UN maritime body to evacuate 11,000 seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf since US-Iran war “President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have an amazing relationship. They’ve nurtured it over many years. Just last week, they met at G7 in Evian, France, and I was there, and they agreed to take the relationship to the next level. This includes the trade deal that we’re working on, but it includes every aspect of the relationship, and we expect the relationship to continue developing and only going to a higher and higher level with every passing week.” The United States and India have reviewed progress on negotiations for a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with both sides reporting substantial advances and reaffirming their commitment to concluding an interim deal as a stepping stone toward a broader trade pact. Also Read: Iran’s Pezeshkian proposes a united security front of Muslim nations against their enemies Greer concluded a three-day visit to New Delhi on Wednesday, where he held multiple rounds of discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. A statement from the Ministry of Commerce said the two sides conducted a comprehensive review of key elements of the proposed trade agreement, including market access, digital trade, supply-chain resilience, reduction of non-tariff barriers and cooperation in strategic sectors. Also Read: Pakistan’s Op Sindoor lies busted, IAF document proves India’s Rafale fleet fully intact “The discussions focused on pathways to conclude an interim agreement as an important milestone toward a comprehensive BTA,” the ministry added. India and the US also reiterated their commitment to a pact that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries. The two countries said they remain focused on expanding bilateral trade, promoting innovation and strengthening trusted supply chains amid changing global trade dynamics.

The United States and India have reviewed progress on negotiations for a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with both sides reporting substantial advances and reaffirming their commitment to concluding an interim deal as a stepping stone toward a broader trade pact.

India and US looking ahead to exciting opportunities in future tech and trade: US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer

US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bethany Poulos Morrison on Tuesday (Jun 23) said that Washington was "very, very close" to concluding the historic trade agreement with India. Speaking at an event, Morrison said, "Looking at trade, in February 2026, we announced the intention to finally conclude the historic trade deal. We are very, very close." This comes after months of negotiations.But if a deal is so close, why hasn't it been signed yet? And what exactly are India and the US negotiating? WION Decodes.<h2>What is the deal being discussed between India and the US?</h2>The talks between the two allies revolve around an interim trade agreement that could eventually pave the way for a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Both countries have set a target of reaching $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, a goal often referred to as "Mission 500".Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-supreme-court-makes-it-easier-to-deport-green-card-holders-what-does-it-mean-for-indians-wion-horizons-1782271724642">US Supreme Court makes it easier to deport Green Card holders: What does it mean for Indians? | WION Horizons</a>For Washington, the deal is about gaining greater access to India's vast consumer market. For New Delhi, it is about securing market access, reducing trade frictions and strengthening economic ties with its largest trading partner.Why does the US say the deal is important?According to Morrison, the agreement would open India's market of 1.4 billion people to American goods on what Washington calls "reciprocal and mutually beneficial" terms. "The administration is driving towards the goal of Mission 500, 500 billion in trade by 2030, with a real sense of urgency," she added.<h2>What are the sticking points?</h2>The US has long argued that India maintains high tariffs and regulatory barriers on several imported products, ranging from agricultural goods to manufactured products.Successive American administrations, including the current Donald Trump administration, have pushed for greater market access, but negotiations have often stalled over disagreements on tariffs, digital trade rules and market protections.While neither side has publicly disclosed the final negotiating text, several issues have repeatedly emerged during trade discussions.These include:<ul><li>Tariffs on agricultural and industrial products</li><li>Market access for American goods</li><li>Digital trade and data regulations</li><li>Rules affecting pharmaceutical and medical products</li><li>Investment protections</li><li>Non-tariff barriers affecting exporters</li></ul>India has traditionally sought to protect sensitive sectors such as agriculture, while the US has pushed for broader access for its companies.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-releases-first-official-fact-sheet-on-us-india-trade-deal-says-it-ll-open-1-4b-strong-market-to-american-goods-1770701855280">White House releases first official fact sheet on US-India trade deal; no mention of New Delhi ending Russian oil purchase</a><h2>Why is there a sense of urgency now?</h2>The timing is significant. The US is trying to diversify supply chains away from China while deepening economic partnerships with trusted partners in the Indo-Pacific.India, meanwhile, is positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing hub and a key destination for global investment.The economic relationship is already expanding rapidly. According to Morrison, 2025 was a "historic year" for India-US trade. "We raised bilateral trade for goods to 149 billion. That's more than a 20 million increase from 2024. US exports to India alone rose by 9.8 per cent," she said.<h2>What happens next?</h2>US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met in New Delhi on Tuesday to advance discussions on both the interim agreement, which was originally launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, and the larger trade framework.In a statement on X, the official account of the US Embassy in India on X said that it remains focused on securing a fair, reciprocal trade deal that opens markets for American exporters and delivers benefits to both nations."USTradeRep Jamieson Greer and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met in New Delhi today to advance negotiations on the Interim Agreement launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. The United States remains focused on securing a fair, reciprocal trade deal that opens markets for American exporters and delivers benefits to both nations," the post read.

The US says it is "very, very close" to finalising a trade agreement with India. But despite months of negotiations, several sensitive issues remain unresolved. Here's what the two countries are negotiating and why the deal is taking time.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bethany Poulos Morrison on Tuesday (Jun 23) said that Washington was "very, very close" to concluding the historic trade agreement with India. Speaking at an event, Morrison said, "Looking at trade, in February 2026, we announced the intention to finally conclude the historic trade deal. We are very, very close." This comes after months of negotiations. But if a deal is so close, why hasn't it been signed yet? And what exactly are India and the US negotiating? WION Decodes. What is the deal being discussed between India and the US? The talks between the two allies revolve around an interim trade agreement that could eventually pave the way for a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Both countries have set a target of reaching $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, a goal often referred to as "Mission 500". Also read | US Supreme Court makes it easier to deport Green Card holders: What does it mean for Indians? | WION Horizons For Washington, the deal is about gaining greater access to India's vast consumer market. For New Delhi, it is about securing market access, reducing trade frictions and strengthening economic ties with its largest trading partner. Why does the US say the deal is important? According to Morrison, the agreement would open India's market of 1.4 billion people to American goods on what Washington calls "reciprocal and mutually beneficial" terms. "The administration is driving towards the goal of Mission 500, 500 billion in trade by 2030, with a real sense of urgency," she added. What are the sticking points? The US has long argued that India maintains high tariffs and regulatory barriers on several imported products, ranging from agricultural goods to manufactured products. Successive American administrations, including the current Donald Trump administration, have pushed for greater market access, but negotiations have often stalled over disagreements on tariffs, digital trade rules and market protections. While neither side has publicly disclosed the final negotiating text, several issues have repeatedly emerged during trade discussions. These include: Tariffs on agricultural and industrial products Market access for American goods Digital trade and data regulations Rules affecting pharmaceutical and medical products Investment protections Non-tariff barriers affecting exporters India has traditionally sought to protect sensitive sectors such as agriculture, while the US has pushed for broader access for its companies. Also read | White House releases first official fact sheet on US-India trade deal; no mention of New Delhi ending Russian oil purchase Why is there a sense of urgency now? The timing is significant. The US is trying to diversify supply chains away from China while deepening economic partnerships with trusted partners in the Indo-Pacific. India, meanwhile, is positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing hub and a key destination for global investment. The economic relationship is already expanding rapidly. According to Morrison, 2025 was a "historic year" for India-US trade. "We raised bilateral trade for goods to 149 billion. That's more than a 20 million increase from 2024. US exports to India alone rose by 9.8 per cent," she said. What happens next? US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met in New Delhi on Tuesday to advance discussions on both the interim agreement, which was originally launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, and the larger trade framework. In a statement on X, the official account of the US Embassy in India on X said that it remains focused on securing a fair, reciprocal trade deal that opens markets for American exporters and delivers benefits to both nations. "USTradeRep Jamieson Greer and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met in New Delhi today to advance negotiations on the Interim Agreement launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. The United States remains focused on securing a fair, reciprocal trade deal that opens markets for American exporters and delivers benefits to both nations," the post read.

The US says it is "very, very close" to finalising a trade agreement with India. But despite months of negotiations, several sensitive issues remain unresolved. Here's what the two countries are negotiating and why the deal is taking time.

US says trade deal with India is 'very, very close'. What's holding it up? | WION Decodes

The US-India trade agreement is in its “last mile”, with negotiations expected to conclude within weeks, officials said ahead of a key bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The meeting on Wednesday between the two leaders marks the first face-to-face encounter in 16 months, and will focus heavily on advancing the deal, expanding energy imports and talks on West Asia conflict, including the volatile Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;“Trade deal with the US is in the final stages, on the last mile. Work will be over in the next few weeks,” one source said.&nbsp;India is keen to diversify its energy basket, with US supplies of oil and gas forming a key pillar of a proposed long-term partnership. Officials indicate that energy security will feature prominently. “India, US keen on long-term energy partnership,” a source said, noting New Delhi’s push to diversify amid global uncertainties.&nbsp;The meeting occurs as bilateral trade, already worth nearly $220bn, aims for ambitious growth targets. Earlier framework agreements have laid the groundwork for tariff reductions and greater market access in sectors from agriculture to technology. The&nbsp;Modi-Trump meeting is seen as an opportunity to reset ties strained by tariffs and other issues. Progress on trade could unlock billions in investment and stabilise supply chains, while energy cooperation aligns with both nations’ strategic interests.&nbsp;At the G7 outreach session, Modi delivered a pointed message on international cooperation. “Trust and verify. Trust is a rare commodity,” sources quoted him as saying, a clear signal amid ongoing global tensions.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/carney-invites-pm-modi-to-ottawa-india-and-canada-launch-security-information-pact-talks-at-g7-1781642050037">Carney invites PM Modi to Ottawa, India and Canada launch security information pact talks at G7</a>&nbsp;Indian officials highlighted comments from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who praised India’s role at the summit. They noted that India’s presence “holds a mirror up to [the] developed west” and “adds legitimacy to G7, as the global south finds its voice”. Mr Carney has previously acknowledged that the G7 can no longer run the world alone, underscoring the need for broader partnerships with rising powers like India.&nbsp;The G7 gathering in Evian, hosted by France, discussed West Asia, the Ukraine war and economic resilience, with guest nations including India playing an increasingly prominent role. For New Delhi, the summit reinforces its bridging position with the Global South.

The Modi-Trump meeting comes at a time when both countries are looking to address trade differences. Success in negotiations could lead to increased investment, stronger supply chains and expanded energy collaboration.

The US-India trade agreement is in its “last mile”, with negotiations expected to conclude within weeks, officials said ahead of a key bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The meeting on Wednesday between the two leaders marks the first face-to-face encounter in 16 months, and will focus heavily on advancing the deal, expanding energy imports and talks on West Asia conflict, including the volatile Strait of Hormuz. “Trade deal with the US is in the final stages, on the last mile. Work will be over in the next few weeks,” one source said. India is keen to diversify its energy basket, with US supplies of oil and gas forming a key pillar of a proposed long-term partnership. Officials indicate that energy security will feature prominently. “India, US keen on long-term energy partnership,” a source said, noting New Delhi’s push to diversify amid global uncertainties. The meeting occurs as bilateral trade, already worth nearly $220bn, aims for ambitious growth targets. Earlier framework agreements have laid the groundwork for tariff reductions and greater market access in sectors from agriculture to technology. The Modi-Trump meeting is seen as an opportunity to reset ties strained by tariffs and other issues. Progress on trade could unlock billions in investment and stabilise supply chains, while energy cooperation aligns with both nations’ strategic interests. At the G7 outreach session, Modi delivered a pointed message on international cooperation. “Trust and verify. Trust is a rare commodity,” sources quoted him as saying, a clear signal amid ongoing global tensions. Also Read: Carney invites PM Modi to Ottawa, India and Canada launch security information pact talks at G7 Indian officials highlighted comments from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who praised India’s role at the summit. They noted that India’s presence “holds a mirror up to [the] developed west” and “adds legitimacy to G7, as the global south finds its voice”. Mr Carney has previously acknowledged that the G7 can no longer run the world alone, underscoring the need for broader partnerships with rising powers like India. The G7 gathering in Evian, hosted by France, discussed West Asia, the Ukraine war and economic resilience, with guest nations including India playing an increasingly prominent role. For New Delhi, the summit reinforces its bridging position with the Global South.

The Modi-Trump meeting comes at a time when both countries are looking to address trade differences. Success in negotiations could lead to increased investment, stronger supply chains and expanded energy collaboration.

India-US trade deal enters 'last mile', officials say ahead of Modi-Trump meeting

US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that the United States and India will soon finalise a trade agreement, pointing to his strong personal relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;“I like your Prime Minister a lot. He is a good friend of mine, and we get along well. We have a good relationship,” Trump told reporters at the White House while speaking about trade ties between the two countries.&nbsp;He also reiterated his long-standing claim that India had benefited unfairly in trade relations with the United States over the years.&nbsp;"India, for years, took advantage of this country. They charged us tremendous tariffs. They paid nothing," he said.&nbsp;Trump cited Harley-Davidson as an example, alleging that high tariffs in India had earlier restricted the company’s access to the market.&nbsp;"They wouldn't let Harley-Davidson sell its motor. They would charge 200% tariff. So Harley-Davidson was precluded. They ended up going to India and building their own plants, which is unfortunate that that happened, but it happens. It was before me, but they charged tremendous amounts of tariffs to us, and we didn't charge them anything," Trump said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-approves-ukraine-aid-and-russia-sanctions-in-setback-for-trump-1780620171754">US House approves Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions in setback to Trump</a>&nbsp;He further added that India had long benefited from what he described as uneven trade practices, while also blaming previous US administrations for allowing the imbalance.&nbsp;“India, for years, has, and I don't blame them, I blame us because we had stupid people here. India, for years, really took advantage of the United States. You know that.”&nbsp;“Now it is the exact reverse, and we are making a lot of money with India,” Trump said.&nbsp;&nbsp;These remarks come as trade negotiations between India and the United States have moved closer to an interim agreement, with both sides concluding four days of discussions in New Delhi. The Commerce Ministry has described the talks as constructive and positive.&nbsp;A delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India from June 1 to June 4 to advance discussions on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

Trump reiterated that India had long benefited unfairly from US trade by imposing high tariffs and paying nothing, while claiming the situation has now reversed, with Washington now making significant gains from trade with New Delhi.

US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that the United States and India will soon finalise a trade agreement, pointing to his strong personal relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I like your Prime Minister a lot. He is a good friend of mine, and we get along well. We have a good relationship,” Trump told reporters at the White House while speaking about trade ties between the two countries. He also reiterated his long-standing claim that India had benefited unfairly in trade relations with the United States over the years. "India, for years, took advantage of this country. They charged us tremendous tariffs. They paid nothing," he said. Trump cited Harley-Davidson as an example, alleging that high tariffs in India had earlier restricted the company’s access to the market. "They wouldn't let Harley-Davidson sell its motor. They would charge 200% tariff. So Harley-Davidson was precluded. They ended up going to India and building their own plants, which is unfortunate that that happened, but it happens. It was before me, but they charged tremendous amounts of tariffs to us, and we didn't charge them anything," Trump said. Also Read: US House approves Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions in setback to Trump He further added that India had long benefited from what he described as uneven trade practices, while also blaming previous US administrations for allowing the imbalance. “India, for years, has, and I don't blame them, I blame us because we had stupid people here. India, for years, really took advantage of the United States. You know that.” “Now it is the exact reverse, and we are making a lot of money with India,” Trump said. These remarks come as trade negotiations between India and the United States have moved closer to an interim agreement, with both sides concluding four days of discussions in New Delhi. The Commerce Ministry has described the talks as constructive and positive. A delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India from June 1 to June 4 to advance discussions on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

Trump reiterated that India had long benefited unfairly from US trade by imposing high tariffs and paying nothing, while claiming the situation has now reversed, with Washington now making significant gains from trade with New Delhi.

PM Modi 'good friend of mine': Trump says India-US trade deal likely soon

Trade negotiations between India and the United States moved closer to an interim agreement after both sides wrapped up four days of discussions in New Delhi, with the Commerce Ministry describing the talks as constructive and positive.&nbsp;A delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India from June 1 to June 4 to advance discussions on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).&nbsp;In a statement, the Commerce Ministry said the talks were held in a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to deepening trade and economic ties through a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.&nbsp;The discussions covered a range of issues, including trade in goods, customs and trade facilitation measures, non-tariff barriers, economic security cooperation and other areas of shared interest.&nbsp;The ongoing negotiations are based on a Joint Statement issued by India and the United States on February 7, 2026, under which the two countries agreed to pursue an interim trade arrangement while continuing work on a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-proposes-direct-meeting-with-putin-to-end-ukraine-war-kremlin-says-he-can-visit-moscow-anytime-1780603266292">Zelensky proposes direct meeting with Putin to end Ukraine war; Kremlin says he can visit Moscow anytime</a>&nbsp;The latest round of talks comes amid expectations that the first tranche of the deal could be concluded in the near future. Last week, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said negotiations had entered the final stage, with only around 1 per cent of the agreement yet to be resolved.&nbsp;The New Delhi discussions followed an earlier round of in-person negotiations held in Washington DC between April 20 and April 23.&nbsp;Meanwhile, another potential point of concern has emerged as the USTR proposes fresh tariffs on imports from India and several other major economies following investigations covering 60 jurisdictions. The proposed action under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 is linked to concerns over products allegedly associated with forced labour.&nbsp;Under the proposal, economies that have implemented restrictions on such imports could face tariffs of 10 per cent, while those without similar safeguards may be subject to duties of up to 12.5 per cent. India, China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh and Vietnam are among the economies included in the review.

The talks are being held under the framework established in a Joint Statement released by India and the US on February 7, where both sides agreed to work towards an interim trade deal alongside a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement.

Trade negotiations between India and the United States moved closer to an interim agreement after both sides wrapped up four days of discussions in New Delhi, with the Commerce Ministry describing the talks as constructive and positive. A delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India from June 1 to June 4 to advance discussions on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). In a statement, the Commerce Ministry said the talks were held in a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism, with both countries reaffirming their commitment to deepening trade and economic ties through a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement. The discussions covered a range of issues, including trade in goods, customs and trade facilitation measures, non-tariff barriers, economic security cooperation and other areas of shared interest. The ongoing negotiations are based on a Joint Statement issued by India and the United States on February 7, 2026, under which the two countries agreed to pursue an interim trade arrangement while continuing work on a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement. Also Read: Zelensky proposes direct meeting with Putin to end Ukraine war; Kremlin says he can visit Moscow anytime The latest round of talks comes amid expectations that the first tranche of the deal could be concluded in the near future. Last week, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said negotiations had entered the final stage, with only around 1 per cent of the agreement yet to be resolved. The New Delhi discussions followed an earlier round of in-person negotiations held in Washington DC between April 20 and April 23. Meanwhile, another potential point of concern has emerged as the USTR proposes fresh tariffs on imports from India and several other major economies following investigations covering 60 jurisdictions. The proposed action under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 is linked to concerns over products allegedly associated with forced labour. Under the proposal, economies that have implemented restrictions on such imports could face tariffs of 10 per cent, while those without similar safeguards may be subject to duties of up to 12.5 per cent. India, China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh and Vietnam are among the economies included in the review.

The talks are being held under the framework established in a Joint Statement released by India and the US on February 7, where both sides agreed to work towards an interim trade deal alongside a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement.

India, US edge closer to interim trade agreement after four days of New Delhi talks

The United States and India are just "weeks &amp; months" away from signing an interim trade agreement, with only the final "one percent" of negotiations left, US Ambassador Sergio Gor said on Friday.“Last week, India had sent a team to Washington, DC to finalise the last 1% of their trade deal. Next week, we welcome a US delegation here to continue those talks. We fully expect that the trade deal will be signed over the next few weeks and months,” Ambassador Gor told an audience at IIT Delhi.The announcement comes amid a flurry of high-level engagement. Just days earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio completed his first visit to India, a four-day trip that included meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. The visit delivered outcome on critical minerals.Bilateral trade has already grown dramatically from $20 billion to over $220 billion in two decades. The new pact is expected to further unlock opportunities in high-value sectors including advanced manufacturing, digital trade and emerging technologies.At the heart of the relationship is the TRUST initiative (Utilising Strategic Technologies), launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at the White House last year. Ambassador Gor described it as a platform for government, academia and private-sector collaboration in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy and space.“India is one of those partners today,” he said, stressing that such deep technology ties are reserved for trusted allies. “This is something that’s not expanded to everyone around the world.”Major US investments are already flowing. Amazon plans to invest $35 billion in India by 2030 for AI-driven projects, Microsoft has committed $17.1 billion for cloud infrastructure, and Google has broken ground on a $15 billion subsea cable landing station.In pharmaceuticals, the US imports nearly 40% of its generics from India. “There’s a reason the United States does that. It is because we trust India,” Gor noted.Space cooperation is also accelerating. The NASA-ISRO NISAR mission, valued at $1.5 billion, and Indian astronaut training with NASA highlight the partnership’s reach.Ambassador Gor, joined briefly by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, framed the relationship as “the defining strategic partnership of the 21st century” at a time when critical technologies are reshaping global power balances. &nbsp;

The new pact is expected to further unlock opportunities in high-value sectors including advanced manufacturing, digital trade and emerging technologies.

The United States and India are just "weeks & months" away from signing an interim trade agreement, with only the final "one percent" of negotiations left, US Ambassador Sergio Gor said on Friday. “Last week, India had sent a team to Washington, DC to finalise the last 1% of their trade deal. Next week, we welcome a US delegation here to continue those talks. We fully expect that the trade deal will be signed over the next few weeks and months,” Ambassador Gor told an audience at IIT Delhi. The announcement comes amid a flurry of high-level engagement. Just days earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio completed his first visit to India, a four-day trip that included meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. The visit delivered outcome on critical minerals. Bilateral trade has already grown dramatically from $20 billion to over $220 billion in two decades. The new pact is expected to further unlock opportunities in high-value sectors including advanced manufacturing, digital trade and emerging technologies. At the heart of the relationship is the TRUST initiative (Utilising Strategic Technologies), launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi at the White House last year. Ambassador Gor described it as a platform for government, academia and private-sector collaboration in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy and space. “India is one of those partners today,” he said, stressing that such deep technology ties are reserved for trusted allies. “This is something that’s not expanded to everyone around the world.” Major US investments are already flowing. Amazon plans to invest $35 billion in India by 2030 for AI-driven projects, Microsoft has committed $17.1 billion for cloud infrastructure, and Google has broken ground on a $15 billion subsea cable landing station. In pharmaceuticals, the US imports nearly 40% of its generics from India. “There’s a reason the United States does that. It is because we trust India,” Gor noted. Space cooperation is also accelerating. The NASA-ISRO NISAR mission, valued at $1.5 billion, and Indian astronaut training with NASA highlight the partnership’s reach. Ambassador Gor, joined briefly by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, framed the relationship as “the defining strategic partnership of the 21st century” at a time when critical technologies are reshaping global power balances.

The new pact is expected to further unlock opportunities in high-value sectors including advanced manufacturing, digital trade and emerging technologies.

Just one percent of trade talks left; agreement to be signed in weeks & months: US Ambassador Sergio Gor

India was not overlooked when the United States chose Pakistan as a facilitator in negotiating the recent two-week ceasefire. It was bypassed—for a reason. The debate in New Delhi over “why not India?” misses the larger point. It reflects a lingering tendency to view global events through a regional or status lens, rather than through the harder logic of great power politics. That logic is now unmistakably shaping the emerging world order. We are moving toward a system defined by a handful of major powers—the United States, China, India, and possibly Russia—alongside a European Union that remains an economic and regulatory heavyweight despite its internal complexities. In such a system, relationships are no longer linear. Countries engage each other simultaneously as partners, competitors, and, when necessary, rivals. Recent remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the 2026 Raisina Dialogue should be read in this context. While affirming the importance of expanding economic ties with India, he made it equally clear that Washington would do so while protecting its own national interests. His reference to avoiding past “mistakes” with China was particularly telling—it signalled that the United States will not support India’s rise in ways that could eventually challenge American economic primacy. In other words, India has arrived at the “big boys’ table”—and at that table, sentiment gives way to strategy. India today is no longer merely a regional actor. As the world’s most populous country, a leading economic power, a major military force, and an aspirant to permanent membership in the UN Security Council, it occupies a fundamentally different position. This elevation brings opportunity—but also a more complex engagement with the United States, marked by cooperation in some areas and competition in others. Nowhere is this complexity clearer than in the shifting geopolitics of energy and supply chains. The tensions involving Iran are not just about regional stability; they are also about influence over energy flows, logistics corridors, and financial systems. As the world’s third-largest consumer of petroleum, India is deeply exposed to these dynamics. But India’s stakes extend well beyond energy. Its growing role in technology, digital infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and global services places it at the heart of multiple strategic sectors that will define the next phase of globalisation. Increasingly, this also includes artificial intelligence, robotics, nuclear energy, and control over critical minerals—areas central to the future distribution of economic and strategic power. In each of these domains, India is not only a partner to major powers like the United States—it is also an emerging competitor. Against this backdrop, Pakistan’s role as a facilitator—rather than a mediator—becomes easier to understand. For Washington, Islamabad remains a useful, if limited, tactical instrument in specific geopolitical situations. Expecting the United States to reassign such roles based on India’s rising status misunderstands the fundamentally transactional nature of great power behaviour.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-hints-at-2028-white-house-bid-says-i-might-run-again-1775842571348">Kamala Harris hints at 2028 White House bid, says ‘I might run again’</a>&nbsp;India’s response, therefore, must be calibrated at a higher level. Rather than reacting to individual diplomatic choices, India’s larger opportunity lies in shaping the agenda of the emerging order. As a leading voice of the Global South, with significant human capital and growing technological and economic weight, India is well-positioned to influence the evolving architecture of energy, finance, technology, and global governance—working not only with the United States and China, but also with the European Union, Japan, and other key middle powers. The scale of global disruption—from West Asia to Europe, and across the technological domain—suggests that the rules of the system are being rewritten in real time. India has both the capacity and the strategic space to help shape those rules. But a seat at the top table comes with a cost: constant scrutiny, competition, and pressure to deliver. Managing relations with the United States will, therefore, remain a delicate exercise. Both countries need each other in the present moment, yet their long-term trajectories ensure periodic divergence. Alignment will be selective, not automatic. Friction will be structural, not accidental. While Graham Allison’s “Thucydides Trap” often frames global politics as a contest between a rising China and the established United States, the real world is far more complex. This complexity—marked by multiple rising powers, shifting alliances, and sectoral competition—creates both challenges and opportunities for countries like India, which can manoeuvre, shape outcomes, and avoid being locked into rigid blocs. Doing so will require strategic clarity, patience, and diplomatic agility—qualities that India’s current foreign policy establishment has increasingly demonstrated. Winston Churchill once observed that Americans will always do the right thing—only after they have tried everything else. Many today may question whether that still holds in a more polarised and unpredictable world. Yet the underlying insight remains relevant: U.S. policy may fluctuate tactically, but it is consistently anchored in the pursuit of national interest. For India, the lesson is straightforward. At the top table, relevance is not assumed—it is constantly tested, negotiated, and re-earned.

We are moving toward a system defined by a handful of major powers—the United States, China, India, and possibly Russia—alongside a European Union that remains an economic and regulatory heavyweight despite its internal complexities.

India was not overlooked when the United States chose Pakistan as a facilitator in negotiating the recent two-week ceasefire. It was bypassed—for a reason. The debate in New Delhi over “why not India?” misses the larger point. It reflects a lingering tendency to view global events through a regional or status lens, rather than through the harder logic of great power politics. That logic is now unmistakably shaping the emerging world order. We are moving toward a system defined by a handful of major powers—the United States, China, India, and possibly Russia—alongside a European Union that remains an economic and regulatory heavyweight despite its internal complexities. In such a system, relationships are no longer linear. Countries engage each other simultaneously as partners, competitors, and, when necessary, rivals. Recent remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the 2026 Raisina Dialogue should be read in this context. While affirming the importance of expanding economic ties with India, he made it equally clear that Washington would do so while protecting its own national interests. His reference to avoiding past “mistakes” with China was particularly telling—it signalled that the United States will not support India’s rise in ways that could eventually challenge American economic primacy. In other words, India has arrived at the “big boys’ table”—and at that table, sentiment gives way to strategy. India today is no longer merely a regional actor. As the world’s most populous country, a leading economic power, a major military force, and an aspirant to permanent membership in the UN Security Council, it occupies a fundamentally different position. This elevation brings opportunity—but also a more complex engagement with the United States, marked by cooperation in some areas and competition in others. Nowhere is this complexity clearer than in the shifting geopolitics of energy and supply chains. The tensions involving Iran are not just about regional stability; they are also about influence over energy flows, logistics corridors, and financial systems. As the world’s third-largest consumer of petroleum, India is deeply exposed to these dynamics. But India’s stakes extend well beyond energy. Its growing role in technology, digital infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and global services places it at the heart of multiple strategic sectors that will define the next phase of globalisation. Increasingly, this also includes artificial intelligence, robotics, nuclear energy, and control over critical minerals—areas central to the future distribution of economic and strategic power. In each of these domains, India is not only a partner to major powers like the United States—it is also an emerging competitor. Against this backdrop, Pakistan’s role as a facilitator—rather than a mediator—becomes easier to understand. For Washington, Islamabad remains a useful, if limited, tactical instrument in specific geopolitical situations. Expecting the United States to reassign such roles based on India’s rising status misunderstands the fundamentally transactional nature of great power behaviour. Also Read: Kamala Harris hints at 2028 White House bid, says ‘I might run again’ India’s response, therefore, must be calibrated at a higher level. Rather than reacting to individual diplomatic choices, India’s larger opportunity lies in shaping the agenda of the emerging order. As a leading voice of the Global South, with significant human capital and growing technological and economic weight, India is well-positioned to influence the evolving architecture of energy, finance, technology, and global governance—working not only with the United States and China, but also with the European Union, Japan, and other key middle powers. The scale of global disruption—from West Asia to Europe, and across the technological domain—suggests that the rules of the system are being rewritten in real time. India has both the capacity and the strategic space to help shape those rules. But a seat at the top table comes with a cost: constant scrutiny, competition, and pressure to deliver. Managing relations with the United States will, therefore, remain a delicate exercise. Both countries need each other in the present moment, yet their long-term trajectories ensure periodic divergence. Alignment will be selective, not automatic. Friction will be structural, not accidental. While Graham Allison’s “Thucydides Trap” often frames global politics as a contest between a rising China and the established United States, the real world is far more complex. This complexity—marked by multiple rising powers, shifting alliances, and sectoral competition—creates both challenges and opportunities for countries like India, which can manoeuvre, shape outcomes, and avoid being locked into rigid blocs. Doing so will require strategic clarity, patience, and diplomatic agility—qualities that India’s current foreign policy establishment has increasingly demonstrated. Winston Churchill once observed that Americans will always do the right thing—only after they have tried everything else. Many today may question whether that still holds in a more polarised and unpredictable world. Yet the underlying insight remains relevant: U.S. policy may fluctuate tactically, but it is consistently anchored in the pursuit of national interest. For India, the lesson is straightforward. At the top table, relevance is not assumed—it is constantly tested, negotiated, and re-earned.

We are moving toward a system defined by a handful of major powers—the United States, China, India, and possibly Russia—alongside a European Union that remains an economic and regulatory heavyweight despite its internal complexities.

India Wasn’t Overlooked — It Has Arrived at the Top Table

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor shared on Thursday that an Indian delegation will be in Washington this month as part of talks on a trade deal between India and the US. The envoy said in a post on X that he held a “highly productive” meeting with the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and discussed how to take forward President Donald Trump’s trade priorities in South and Central Asia.“The United States and India have previously agreed to a trade deal, and we look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to Washington later this month,” he added further.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Highly Productive meeting with <a href="https://twitter.com/USTradeRep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USTradeRep</a> Ambassador Greer to discuss advancing <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> trade priorities in South and Central Asia. The United States and India have previously agreed to a trade deal, and we look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to Washington later this… <a href="https://t.co/Z9zgwaNSiG">pic.twitter.com/Z9zgwaNSiG</a>&mdash; Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIndia/status/2042195863640936538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-254-killed-in-israeli-strikes-on-hezbollah-it-would-be-dumb-for-iran-to-derail-ceasefire-over-lebanon-says-vance-1775680310764">At least 254 killed in Israeli strikes on Hezbollah; ‘it would be dumb for Iran to derail ceasefire over Lebanon,’ says Vance</a>&nbsp;Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was scheduled to be part of the delegation earlier, however, she will be skipping the Washington visit as she will be attending the Parliament sessions for the introduction of bills to fast-track the implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.&nbsp;Gor also met with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob S Helberg and discussed US-India energy cooperation with special focus on next steps on Pax Silica and supply chains for critical technologies.Gor said in a tweet, “Great meeting with my friend @UnderSecE Helberg on US-India energy cooperation with special focus on next steps on Pax Silica and secure supply chains for critical technologies. Big things ahead for the US and India as it relates to Pax Silica!”&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Great meeting with my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/UnderSecE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnderSecE</a> Helberg on U.S.-India energy cooperation with special focus on next steps on Pax Silica and secure supply chains for critical technologies. Big things ahead for the U.S. and India as it relates to Pax Silica! <a href="https://t.co/Hnx6UsaZru">pic.twitter.com/Hnx6UsaZru</a>&mdash; Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIndia/status/2042211423196004710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-launches-largest-wave-of-strikes-against-hezbollah-in-lebanon-high-casualties-reported-1775659940742">Israel launches largest wave of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon; high casualties reported</a><h2>India and US announced bilateral trade deal on February 2</h2>&nbsp;After months of negotiations, on February 2, 2026, India and the US announced a bilateral trade deal. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the deal as “historic”, and as part of the deal, the tariffs against India were lowered from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.The deal also includes a $500 billion investment from India for US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, metals, coal, and technology products for the next five years.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-iran-will-cease-uranium-enrichment-we-ll-dig-out-nuclear-dust-says-trump-1775651976519">‘Iran will cease uranium enrichment, we’ll dig out nuclear dust,’ says Trump</a>&nbsp;On Thursday, Gor, who is visiting the US, met Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and discussed the commercial roadmap for opening up a market of 1.4 billion people for American products.&nbsp;Gor shared in a social media post that he discussed with Lutnick a new Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to connect India’s AI scale with the American AI ecosystem.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was scheduled to be part of the delegation but will now skip the Washington visit as she will be attending Parliament for the introduction of bills to fast-track the implementation of 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor shared on Thursday that an Indian delegation will be in Washington this month as part of talks on a trade deal between India and the US. The envoy said in a post on X that he held a “highly productive” meeting with the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and discussed how to take forward President Donald Trump’s trade priorities in South and Central Asia. “The United States and India have previously agreed to a trade deal, and we look forward to welcoming an Indian delegation to Washington later this month,” he added further.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was scheduled to be part of the delegation but will now skip the Washington visit as she will be attending Parliament for the introduction of bills to fast-track the implementation of 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Indian delegation to visit US this month, says Sergio Gor. Will trade deal be signed?

In yet another move &nbsp;the United States on Wednesday announced the launch of investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by 16 key countries. The US said that the step is part of an urgent effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate tariffs that were recently struck down as illegal by the Supreme Court of the United States. The investigations are being carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorises the Office of the United States Trade Representative to impose tariffs or other retaliatory measures on countries found to be engaging in unfair trade practices. US trade representative Jamieson Greer told reporters that the probe will be followed by additional nations. The list of countries include:<ul><li>India</li><li>Mexico</li><li>China</li><li>European Union</li><li>Japan</li><li>Taiwan</li><li>Vietnam</li><li>South Korea</li><li>Singapore</li><li>Switzerland</li><li>Norway</li><li>Indonesia</li><li>Malaysia</li><li>Cambodia</li><li>Bangladesh</li><li>Thailand</li></ul>&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-govt-won-t-leave-indians-stranded-says-pm-modi-slams-congress-for-politicising-iran-war-1773224945175">‘Govt won’t leave Indians stranded,’ says PM Modi</a><h2>What this means?</h2>The move essentially means that after Supreme Court's shock, the administration is now using a different law, Section 301, to investigate trade partners. This law specifically targets "unfair" practices, providing a more established legal justification for imposing taxes. The justification given by Trump administration to launch a probe is a claim that these 16 countries are manufacturing far more goods than their own people can buy and then they are dumping their extra products into the US at low prices, thereby harming American manufacturers. “We do expect that there will be other Section 301 investigations on a country-specific basis, or maybe other tools or investigations that may come up. I won’t go into too much detail,” Greer said. He also said that the trading partners, subject to the investigation, will also be consulted. “After all of that, we will have our findings and our analysis, and we will propose, if necessary, a responsive action. Responsive action can take a number of forms. It can be tariffs, it can be fees on services, it can be other things,” he added.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-aggressive-action-and-crimes-by-us-israel-what-iran-fm-araghchi-told-india-s-jaishankar-in-phone-call-amid-war-1773203421596">'Aggressive action and crimes by US, Israel...': What Iran FM Araghchi told</a><h2>India and US trade deal</h2>India's name in the list appeared even as Washington and New Delhi announced a trade deal in February, where Indian exports to the US were reduce to a tariff level of 18 per cent, from previous 50 per cent. However, days after the announcement of the deal, the US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, said that the US President did not have the authority to levy such duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. Soon after, Trump announced a 15 per cent global tariff. A chart provided by Reuters News Agency to show the goods trade surplus of the 16 countries with the US:<figure class="table"><table><thead><tr><th>Country/Area</th><th>Goods trade surplus/deficit 2025 ($ mln)</th><th>Goods trade surplus/deficit 2024 ($ mln)</th><th>Change ($ ⁠mln)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>European ​Union</td><td>218,750</td><td>235,874</td><td>-17,124</td></tr><tr><td>China</td><td>202,071</td><td>295,515</td><td>-93,444</td></tr><tr><td>Mexico</td><td>196,913</td><td>171,491</td><td>25,422</td></tr><tr><td>Vietnam</td><td>178,183</td><td>123,457</td><td>54,726</td></tr><tr><td>Taiwan</td><td>146,756</td><td>73,718</td><td>73,038</td></tr><tr><td>Thailand</td><td>71,856</td><td>45,492</td><td>26,364</td></tr><tr><td>Japan</td><td>63,883</td><td>69,392</td><td>-5,509</td></tr><tr><td>India</td><td>58,216</td><td>45,801</td><td>12,415</td></tr><tr><td>Korea, South</td><td>56,416</td><td>65,967</td><td>-9,551</td></tr><tr><td>Switzerland</td><td>34,304</td><td>38,283</td><td>-3,979</td></tr><tr><td>Malaysia</td><td>30,791</td><td>24,854</td><td>5,937</td></tr><tr><td>Indonesia</td><td>23,716</td><td>17,893</td><td>5,823</td></tr><tr><td>Cambodia</td><td>14,928</td><td>12,327</td><td>2,601</td></tr><tr><td>Bangladesh</td><td>7,146</td><td>6,063</td><td>1,083</td></tr><tr><td>Norway</td><td>2,069</td><td>2,043</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td>Singapore</td><td>-3,553</td><td>-1,855</td><td>-1,698</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>&nbsp;

The US has launched investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by 16 key trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act. The move comes after the SC blocked earlier tariffs, as the Trump administration seeks new legal grounds to impose duties 

In yet another move the United States on Wednesday announced the launch of investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by 16 key countries. The US said that the step is part of an urgent effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate tariffs that were recently struck down as illegal by the Supreme Court of the United States. The investigations are being carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorises the Office of the United States Trade Representative to impose tariffs or other retaliatory measures on countries found to be engaging in unfair trade practices. US trade representative Jamieson Greer told reporters that the probe will be followed by additional nations. The list of countries include: India Mexico China European Union Japan Taiwan Vietnam South Korea Singapore Switzerland Norway Indonesia Malaysia Cambodia Bangladesh Thailand Also Read: ‘Govt won’t leave Indians stranded,’ says PM Modi What this means? The move essentially means that after Supreme Court's shock, the administration is now using a different law, Section 301, to investigate trade partners. This law specifically targets "unfair" practices, providing a more established legal justification for imposing taxes. The justification given by Trump administration to launch a probe is a claim that these 16 countries are manufacturing far more goods than their own people can buy and then they are dumping their extra products into the US at low prices, thereby harming American manufacturers. “We do expect that there will be other Section 301 investigations on a country-specific basis, or maybe other tools or investigations that may come up. I won’t go into too much detail,” Greer said. He also said that the trading partners, subject to the investigation, will also be consulted. “After all of that, we will have our findings and our analysis, and we will propose, if necessary, a responsive action. Responsive action can take a number of forms. It can be tariffs, it can be fees on services, it can be other things,” he added. Also Read: 'Aggressive action and crimes by US, Israel...': What Iran FM Araghchi told India and US trade deal India's name in the list appeared even as Washington and New Delhi announced a trade deal in February, where Indian exports to the US were reduce to a tariff level of 18 per cent, from previous 50 per cent. However, days after the announcement of the deal, the US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, said that the US President did not have the authority to levy such duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. Soon after, Trump announced a 15 per cent global tariff. A chart provided by Reuters News Agency to show the goods trade surplus of the 16 countries with the US: Country/Area Goods trade surplus/deficit 2025 ($ mln) Goods trade surplus/deficit 2024 ($ mln) Change ($ ⁠mln) European Union 218,750 235,874 -17,124 China 202,071 295,515 -93,444 Mexico 196,913 171,491 25,422 Vietnam 178,183 123,457 54,726 Taiwan 146,756 73,718 73,038 Thailand 71,856 45,492 26,364 Japan 63,883 69,392 -5,509 India 58,216 45,801 12,415 Korea, South 56,416 65,967 -9,551 Switzerland 34,304 38,283 -3,979 Malaysia 30,791 24,854 5,937 Indonesia 23,716 17,893 5,823 Cambodia 14,928 12,327 2,601 Bangladesh 7,146 6,063 1,083 Norway 2,069 2,043 26 Singapore -3,553 -1,855 -1,698

The US has launched investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by 16 key trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act. The move comes after the SC blocked earlier tariffs, as the Trump administration seeks new legal grounds to impose duties&nbsp;

India among 16 countries hit by Trump's 'unfair trade probe': What this latest tariff push means

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Sergio Gor on Thursday and discussed trade and economic partnership between India and the United States. Goyal confirmed the talks on trade expansion in a statement on X. “Hosted US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick &amp; US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership,” Goyal wrote on X without divulging much on the meeting, but the mention of ‘trade’ and ‘economic partnership’ gave enough hints that the proposed trade deal was the focal point of talks.The three leaders were all smiles as they posed for a photo.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hosted US Secretary of Commerce <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HowardLutnick</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAmbIndia</a> Sergio Gor. Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership. 🇮🇳🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/UjfExNj6wi">pic.twitter.com/UjfExNj6wi</a>&mdash; Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/2026933594493681742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/danish-pm-mette-frederiksen-calls-snap-election-amid-popularity-surge-for-resisting-trump-s-bid-to-acquire-greenland-1772120220927">Danish PM Mette Frederiksen calls snap election amid popularity surge for resisting Trump’s bid to acquire Greenland</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;It was not until Goyal tweeted on Thursday that India came to know of Lutnick’s visit.&nbsp;Gor also shared that they had met but did not divulge much. “So many areas of cooperation for our two nations. A highly productive lunch with Howard Lutnick and Piyush Goyal,” he tweeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A highly productive lunch with ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a>⁩ and ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PiyushGoyal</a>⁩. So many areas of cooperation for our two nations! <a href="https://t.co/C3CDN3Wopg">pic.twitter.com/C3CDN3Wopg</a>&mdash; Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIndia/status/2026928790115332549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-economic-forum-chief-borge-brende-quits-over-his-links-with-epstein-1772107692150">World Economic Forum chief Borge Brende quits over his links with Epstein</a>&nbsp;The timing of Lutnick’s visit is crucial. Lutnick had famously claimed in a podcast that the trade deal with India could not materialise last year because Prime Minister Modi refused to directly call Trump.Some months ago, Lutnick had made another bold prediction amid the trade deal logjam. He said India would eventually give in to the tariff pressure, say sorry, and try to make an agreement. However, it was Lutnick who travelled all the way to Delhi.&nbsp;The US embassy in India also shared photos of Lutnick with Goyal.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome to India, Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HowardLutnick</a>! Your visit celebrates the enduring friendship between our two great democracies. Thanks to your support, the U.S.-India economic relationship has never been stronger. With our new target of $500 billion in bilateral trade, the United… <a href="https://t.co/QP0VsPwQiA">pic.twitter.com/QP0VsPwQiA</a>&mdash; U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAndIndia/status/2027027505396560214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suicide-bomber-blows-himself-up-near-pakistan-checkpost-4-cops-dead-1772038584936">Suicide bomber blows himself up near Pakistan checkpost; 4 cops dead | Video</a>&nbsp;Earlier this week, Goyal had said that trade talks between the two countries would resume once there was greater clarity, following the US Supreme Court’s invalidation of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Several countries that struck trade deals are now reassessing their positions.&nbsp;Earlier this month, India and the US agreed on an initial framework to reduce US tariffs on Indian exports from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.&nbsp;The US Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s emergency tariffs, creating more negotiation space for India.India postponed a planned delegation trip to Washington that was intended to finalise the interim deal, though it is not reconsidering the agreement itself.Indian officials are cautiously evaluating next steps to protect commercial interests without disrupting bilateral relations.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-orders-blanket-ban-on-ncert-textbook-says-heads-must-roll-1772104695420">Supreme Court orders blanket ban on NCERT textbook, says ‘heads must roll’</a>&nbsp;Trump has rampantly used reciprocal tariffs as leverage in finalising trade deals.After the Supreme Court ruling, an infuriated Trump warned countries against ‘playing games’ and walking back on trade commitments.“Any country that wants to play games with the ridiculous Supreme Court decision, especially those that have ripped off the US for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had famously claimed in a podcast that the trade deal with India could not materialise last year because PM Modi refused to call Trump. He also said earlier that India would eventually give in to the pressure, say sorry, and try to make an agreement.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Sergio Gor on Thursday and discussed trade and economic partnership between India and the United States. Goyal confirmed the talks on trade expansion in a statement on X. “Hosted US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick & US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership,” Goyal wrote on X without divulging much on the meeting, but the mention of ‘trade’ and ‘economic partnership’ gave enough hints that the proposed trade deal was the focal point of talks. The three leaders were all smiles as they posed for a photo.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had famously claimed in a podcast that the trade deal with India could not materialise last year because PM Modi refused to call Trump. He also said earlier that India would eventually give in to the pressure, say sorry, and try to make an agreement.

‘Fruitful discussions to expand trade ties’: US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick travels to India, meets Piyush Goyal

India and the US have decided to reschedule the proposed high-level meeting of their chief trade negotiators in Washington to finalise the text of the trade agreement. The three-day meeting was scheduled to start on February 23 in the US. Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, Darpan Jain, was the Chief negotiator of the meeting. Both nations suggested that they need additional time to evaluate the legal and economic implications of a US Supreme Court order.&nbsp;"With regards to the visit of the Indian team of negotiators to the US for the India-US trade deal, the two sides are of the view that the proposed visit of the Indian Chief Negotiator and the team be scheduled after each side has had the time to evaluate the latest developments and their implications. The meeting will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient date," said commerce ministry sources.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tejas-light-combat-aircraft-crash-indian-air-force-mk1a-delay-1771751500499">Third Tejas LCA crash: Aircraft damaged, pilot safe after landing incident</a>&nbsp;The US Supreme Court, on a 6-3 ruling under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, suggested that the US President has exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs on his trade partners and called it illegal.&nbsp;Following the SC ruling, US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced increased tariffs on all countries to 15 per cent from 10 per cent, announced a day earlier. IUS last year decided to move away from the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rate framework to the reciprocal tariff framework. The US then imposed a 25 per cent tariff in August 2025, and then it further added 25 per cent more on the pretext of purchasing Russian crude. India and the US, earlier this month, had agreed on an interim trade deal reducing the reciprocal tariff from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. Now, if this 15 per cent is an additional surcharge which will be above and over the MFN rate or import duties in the US of 3.5 per cent for 150 days, unless the congress decides to extend it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

India and the US have decided to reschedule trade talks after the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s sweeping tariffs, prompting fresh legal and economic review.

India and the US have decided to reschedule the proposed high-level meeting of their chief trade negotiators in Washington to finalise the text of the trade agreement. The three-day meeting was scheduled to start on February 23 in the US. Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, Darpan Jain, was the Chief negotiator of the meeting. Both nations suggested that they need additional time to evaluate the legal and economic implications of a US Supreme Court order. "With regards to the visit of the Indian team of negotiators to the US for the India-US trade deal, the two sides are of the view that the proposed visit of the Indian Chief Negotiator and the team be scheduled after each side has had the time to evaluate the latest developments and their implications. The meeting will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient date," said commerce ministry sources. Also Read: Third Tejas LCA crash: Aircraft damaged, pilot safe after landing incident The US Supreme Court, on a 6-3 ruling under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, suggested that the US President has exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs on his trade partners and called it illegal. Following the SC ruling, US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced increased tariffs on all countries to 15 per cent from 10 per cent, announced a day earlier. IUS last year decided to move away from the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rate framework to the reciprocal tariff framework. The US then imposed a 25 per cent tariff in August 2025, and then it further added 25 per cent more on the pretext of purchasing Russian crude. India and the US, earlier this month, had agreed on an interim trade deal reducing the reciprocal tariff from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. Now, if this 15 per cent is an additional surcharge which will be above and over the MFN rate or import duties in the US of 3.5 per cent for 150 days, unless the congress decides to extend it.

India and the US have decided to reschedule trade talks after the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s sweeping tariffs, prompting fresh legal and economic review.

India-US trade talks rescheduled after US Supreme Court ruling on Trump tariffs

India and the United States announced a new trade framework on February 6, aiming to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, market access, and strategic trade engagement. The development comes amid continued tariff pressure rhetoric from Donald Trump, signalling a tougher negotiation stance as both sides navigate trade imbalances, supply chain concerns, and evolving global economic dynamics.


India-US Trade Framework Announced on Feb 6 | Trump's Tariff Pressure Strategy Continues

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday (Feb 21) called on the central government to immediately pause the Indo-US interim trade framework, citing a recent ruling of the US Supreme Court, which struck down Donald Trump's global tariffs. "We demand that in view of the Supreme Court's decision on the tariff, the Modi government should immediately put the Indo-US framework of interim agreement on hold. Use the clause in the joint statement and renegotiate the deal to eliminate liberalisation of imports in agriculture," Ramesh said, speaking to reporters, ANI reported.&nbsp;Earlier in the day, the Congress leader questioned the timing of the India-US trade deal. In a social media post, Ramesh cited remarks made by the US President after the US Supreme Court ruling. "Yesterday after the US Supreme Court struck down his tariffs policy, President Trump declared that (i) Mr. Modi is his great friend; (ii) the India-US trade deal will continue as announced; (iii) he had personally halted Operation Sindoor on May 10 2025 by threatening to increase tariffs on Indian exports to the US if India did not halt Operation Sindoor," Ramesh wrote on X.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-absolutely-ashamed-of-certain-members-of-court-trump-lashes-out-at-supreme-court-over-tariff-decision-1771612420264">Trump announces new 10% global tariff; says ‘absolutely ashamed’ of US Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;"On Feb 2 2026, President Trump was the first to announce that the India-US trade deal had been finalised, saying that 'out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, AS PER HIS REQUEST, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India." He added. Ramesh asked, "What exactly was the compulsion that made Prime Minister Modi ensure that it was President Trump who announced the India-US trade deal on the night of 2 February 2026 (Indian time)? What happened in the Lok Sabha that afternoon that made PM Modi so anxious that he contacted his ‘good friend’ in the White House and created a distracting situation?"&nbsp;The Congress communication chief accused PM Modi of being "so desperate to protect his delicate image" and suggested that if he had "simply waited another 18 days, Indian farmers could have been spared this pain and crisis, and India’s sovereignty could have remained secure". These remarks from the opposition party came after the US Supreme Court on Friday struck down the tariffs Trump had imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), saying it "does not authorise the President to impose tariffs."&nbsp;On February 2, India and the United States agreed on an interim trade framework, bringing down President Trump's punitive tariffs on Indian exports from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.&nbsp;

Ramesh accused PM Modi of being "so desperate to protect his delicate image" and suggested that if he had "simply waited another 18 days, Indian farmers could have been spared this pain and crisis.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday (Feb 21) called on the central government to immediately pause the Indo-US interim trade framework, citing a recent ruling of the US Supreme Court, which struck down Donald Trump's global tariffs. "We demand that in view of the Supreme Court's decision on the tariff, the Modi government should immediately put the Indo-US framework of interim agreement on hold. Use the clause in the joint statement and renegotiate the deal to eliminate liberalisation of imports in agriculture," Ramesh said, speaking to reporters, ANI reported. Earlier in the day, the Congress leader questioned the timing of the India-US trade deal. In a social media post, Ramesh cited remarks made by the US President after the US Supreme Court ruling. "Yesterday after the US Supreme Court struck down his tariffs policy, President Trump declared that (i) Mr. Modi is his great friend; (ii) the India-US trade deal will continue as announced; (iii) he had personally halted Operation Sindoor on May 10 2025 by threatening to increase tariffs on Indian exports to the US if India did not halt Operation Sindoor," Ramesh wrote on X. Also Read: Trump announces new 10% global tariff; says ‘absolutely ashamed’ of US Supreme Court "On Feb 2 2026, President Trump was the first to announce that the India-US trade deal had been finalised, saying that 'out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, AS PER HIS REQUEST, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India." He added. Ramesh asked, "What exactly was the compulsion that made Prime Minister Modi ensure that it was President Trump who announced the India-US trade deal on the night of 2 February 2026 (Indian time)? What happened in the Lok Sabha that afternoon that made PM Modi so anxious that he contacted his ‘good friend’ in the White House and created a distracting situation?" The Congress communication chief accused PM Modi of being "so desperate to protect his delicate image" and suggested that if he had "simply waited another 18 days, Indian farmers could have been spared this pain and crisis, and India’s sovereignty could have remained secure". These remarks from the opposition party came after the US Supreme Court on Friday struck down the tariffs Trump had imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), saying it "does not authorise the President to impose tariffs." On February 2, India and the United States agreed on an interim trade framework, bringing down President Trump's punitive tariffs on Indian exports from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.

Ramesh accused PM Modi of being "so desperate to protect his delicate image" and suggested that if he had "simply waited another 18 days, Indian farmers could have been spared this pain and crisis.

Immediately pause Indo-US interim trade deal, renegotiate terms: Congress

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Feb 20) said India will continue to face 18 per cent tariffs, even after the Supreme Court struck down sweeping reciprocal tariffs. The remarks came days after the court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that Trump's sweeping duties on imports from nearly all trading partners violated federal law. The judges held that he lacked the authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose such wide-ranging tariffs.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-neal-katyal-all-about-the-indian-origin-lawyer-who-led-legal-challenge-against-trump-tariffs-at-scotus-1771641242108">Who is Neal Katyal? Indian-origin lawyer behind SCOTUS ruling on Trump tariffs</a><h2>What happens to 18% India tariffs?</h2>Trump was blunt when asked about the impact on the India deal. "Nothing changes," he said in response to ANI. The trade arrangement, he added, remains intact and is expected to be signed by the end of March.Under the interim US-India trade deal framework announced earlier this month, Washington reduced proposed tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from an earlier 50 per cent. In return, New Delhi agreed to eliminate tariffs on US goods."Nothing changes. They'll be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs. This is a reversal of what used to be," Trump said, calling it a "fair deal". He also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a great gentleman a great man" and said the agreement marked a reversal of past trade terms."In terms of the US, He was ripping us off. So we made a deal with India. A fair deal now. We are not paying tariffs to them, and they are. We did a little flip," said Trump.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trump-suffers-first-major-blow-to-his-economic-and-diplomatic-policy-opinion-1771637528141">Donald Trump suffers first major blow to his economic and diplomatic policy</a><h2>What the US-India trade deal covers</h2>India has agreed to cut or remove duties on US industrial goods and a range of farm products. These include dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum, tree nuts, fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits.The US, on its part, will apply the 18 per cent tariff to Indian exports such as textiles, leather goods, footwear, chemicals, plastics, home decor and certain machinery.Notably, while the two nations announced the framework, the deal is yet to be signed. Officials from both countries are set to meet in the US on February 23 for three days to finalise the legal text. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said the agreement is likely to take effect in April.&nbsp;

Will India still face 18 per cent US tariffs even after the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s sweeping reciprocal duties? President Trump says “nothing changes” under the interim trade deal.

Scroll down to find out what happens next.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Feb 20) said India will continue to face 18 per cent tariffs, even after the Supreme Court struck down sweeping reciprocal tariffs. The remarks came days after the court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that Trump's sweeping duties on imports from nearly all trading partners violated federal law. The judges held that he lacked the authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose such wide-ranging tariffs. Also read | Who is Neal Katyal? Indian-origin lawyer behind SCOTUS ruling on Trump tariffs What happens to 18% India tariffs? Trump was blunt when asked about the impact on the India deal. "Nothing changes," he said in response to ANI. The trade arrangement, he added, remains intact and is expected to be signed by the end of March. Under the interim US-India trade deal framework announced earlier this month, Washington reduced proposed tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from an earlier 50 per cent. In return, New Delhi agreed to eliminate tariffs on US goods. "Nothing changes. They'll be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs. This is a reversal of what used to be," Trump said, calling it a "fair deal". He also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a great gentleman a great man" and said the agreement marked a reversal of past trade terms. "In terms of the US, He was ripping us off. So we made a deal with India. A fair deal now. We are not paying tariffs to them, and they are. We did a little flip," said Trump. Also read | Donald Trump suffers first major blow to his economic and diplomatic policy What the US-India trade deal covers India has agreed to cut or remove duties on US industrial goods and a range of farm products. These include dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum, tree nuts, fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits. The US, on its part, will apply the 18 per cent tariff to Indian exports such as textiles, leather goods, footwear, chemicals, plastics, home decor and certain machinery. Notably, while the two nations announced the framework, the deal is yet to be signed. Officials from both countries are set to meet in the US on February 23 for three days to finalise the legal text. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said the agreement is likely to take effect in April.

Will India still face 18 per cent US tariffs even after the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s sweeping reciprocal duties? President Trump says “nothing changes” under the interim trade deal.Scroll down to find out what happens next.

Will India still pay 18% tariffs after SCOTUS scraps Trump reciprocal duties? Here’s what the POTUS said

In yet another statement over the purchase of Russian oil, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (Feb 15) said that India has committed to stop buying Russian oil. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Rubio said, “In our conversations with India, we’ve gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil.” On Feb 10, the White House released a factsheet on India-US trade deal. Interestingly, the only mention of Russian oil in the document was in a statement acknowledging that Trump "agreed to remove the additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India in recognition of India's commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil." Apart from this, there was no mention of how and in what capacity is India going to stop Russian oil purchase.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-oil-piles-up-at-sea-diplomatic-pressures-complicate-russia-s-search-for-oil-buyers-1770790884270/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-oil-piles-up-at-sea-diplomatic-pressures-complicate-russia-s-search-for-oil-buyers-1770790884270/embed</a> &nbsp;<h2>India's take on Russian oil issue</h2>On Feb 14, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, reiterated that India's decision with regards to energy issues are based on its "best interests." &nbsp;"As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest," he said. He also added, ""India may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and willingness to find common ground remain important."The statement by Jaishankar was in line with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's earlier statement that New Delhi will continue sourcing crude oil from multiple suppliers to safeguard energy stability.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-not-heard-from-anyone-except-russian-fm-sergei-lavrov-counters-us-claim-on-india-oil-deal-1770824550039">'Not heard from anyone except...': Russian FM Sergei Lavrov counters US claim on India oil deal</a><h2>Russia blames US</h2>On Feb 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that US is using "coercive" measures like tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions in order to achieve its goal of economic domination. He also said that Washington is trying to transform Russian ties with friendly countries like India. "They are trying to ban India and our other partners from buying cheap, affordable Russian energy resources and are forcing them to buy US LNG at exorbitant prices," he said. He also said that he had not heard any confirmation from Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi about ending Russian oil purchase.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-releases-first-official-fact-sheet-on-us-india-trade-deal-says-it-ll-open-1-4b-strong-market-to-american-goods-1770701855280">White House releases first official fact sheet on US-India trade deal</a><h2>India-US trade deal</h2>India and the US confirmed a trade deal after months of negotiations with Indian Prime Minister Modi announcing the same formally on Feb 2 and appreciating US President Donald Trump’s leadership, terming it “vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.” Trump claimed that India will stop buying Russian oil as the part of the deal. India or PM Modi did not mention anything on Russian oil purchase in its statement. Trump, who had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports late last year and later doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent punishing Delhi for buying oil from Russia, reduced the tariffs to 18 per cent.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Marco Rubio claimed India agreed to halt Russian oil purchases, but Indian officials stress energy decisions are based on national interest. With no clear confirmation from New Delhi, the issue highlights tensions between economic priorities and geopolitical pressure.

In yet another statement over the purchase of Russian oil, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (Feb 15) said that India has committed to stop buying Russian oil. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Rubio said, “In our conversations with India, we’ve gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil.” On Feb 10, the White House released a factsheet on India-US trade deal. Interestingly, the only mention of Russian oil in the document was in a statement acknowledging that Trump "agreed to remove the additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India in recognition of India's commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil." Apart from this, there was no mention of how and in what capacity is India going to stop Russian oil purchase. https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-oil-piles-up-at-sea-diplomatic-pressures-complicate-russia-s-search-for-oil-buyers-1770790884270/embed India's take on Russian oil issue On Feb 14, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, reiterated that India's decision with regards to energy issues are based on its "best interests." "As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest," he said. He also added, ""India may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and willingness to find common ground remain important." The statement by Jaishankar was in line with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's earlier statement that New Delhi will continue sourcing crude oil from multiple suppliers to safeguard energy stability. Also Read: 'Not heard from anyone except...': Russian FM Sergei Lavrov counters US claim on India oil deal Russia blames US On Feb 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that US is using "coercive" measures like tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions in order to achieve its goal of economic domination. He also said that Washington is trying to transform Russian ties with friendly countries like India. "They are trying to ban India and our other partners from buying cheap, affordable Russian energy resources and are forcing them to buy US LNG at exorbitant prices," he said. He also said that he had not heard any confirmation from Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi about ending Russian oil purchase. Also Read: White House releases first official fact sheet on US-India trade deal India-US trade deal India and the US confirmed a trade deal after months of negotiations with Indian Prime Minister Modi announcing the same formally on Feb 2 and appreciating US President Donald Trump’s leadership, terming it “vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.” Trump claimed that India will stop buying Russian oil as the part of the deal. India or PM Modi did not mention anything on Russian oil purchase in its statement. Trump, who had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports late last year and later doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent punishing Delhi for buying oil from Russia, reduced the tariffs to 18 per cent.

Marco Rubio claimed India agreed to halt Russian oil purchases, but Indian officials stress energy decisions are based on national interest. With no clear confirmation from New Delhi, the issue highlights tensions between economic priorities and geopolitical pressure.

Rubio says India ‘committed’ to stop Russian oil purchase days after Jaishankar's 'strategic autonomy' remark: Who said what

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (Feb 15) said that Union Budget 2026 reflects India's "yearning to become a developed nation" and that the "Budget was not a 'now or never' moment born out of compulsion but a ‘we are ready moment’ born out of preparation and inspiration."&nbsp;In an interview with PTI, the Prime Minister, on the issue of the recent trade deal, stated that “political stability, political predictability restored investor confidence in India,” adding that "Stronger manufacturing, services, MSMEs enable India to negotiate trade pacts from a position of strength"&nbsp;Amid opposition's criticism of India's trade agreement with the United States, the Prime Minister Modi declared that "Our FTAs are designed to expand market access for MSMEs in textile, leather, chemicals, handicrafts, gems and other sectors."&nbsp;Touching on the defence sector and the hike in spending in the recent Budget, Modi said, “The government has a duty to modernise the defence sector in line with current realities.”Despite the government’s long push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing, India has recently decided to purchase 114 Rafale jets from France. He added that the government would do whatever it takes to support and strengthen the country’s armed forces.&nbsp;Turning on opposition, PM Modi slammed "UPA-era mismanagement" that left India unable to negotiate from a position of strength, adding that "During UPA rule, talks would begin and then break down; a little real substancewas &nbsp;achieved despite long negotiations."&nbsp;He declared that the government is committed to reforms and it has displayed it in letter and spirit.&nbsp;PM hailed the private sector as "critical for the next phase of economic transformation" and called for "decisive response" from them. He said the private sector must focus less on protecting margins and "invest aggressively in R&amp;D supply chain," emphasising that the next leap of Vikist Bharat will depend on “bold investment by the private sector, innovation, long-term capacity, and global competitiveness”

PM hailed the private sector as "critical for the next phase of economic transformation" and called for "decisive response" from them. He said the private sector must focus less on protecting margins and "invest aggressively in R&D supply chain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (Feb 15) said that Union Budget 2026 reflects India's "yearning to become a developed nation" and that the "Budget was not a 'now or never' moment born out of compulsion but a ‘we are ready moment’ born out of preparation and inspiration." In an interview with PTI, the Prime Minister, on the issue of the recent trade deal, stated that “political stability, political predictability restored investor confidence in India,” adding that "Stronger manufacturing, services, MSMEs enable India to negotiate trade pacts from a position of strength" Amid opposition's criticism of India's trade agreement with the United States, the Prime Minister Modi declared that "Our FTAs are designed to expand market access for MSMEs in textile, leather, chemicals, handicrafts, gems and other sectors." Touching on the defence sector and the hike in spending in the recent Budget, Modi said, “The government has a duty to modernise the defence sector in line with current realities.” Despite the government’s long push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing, India has recently decided to purchase 114 Rafale jets from France. He added that the government would do whatever it takes to support and strengthen the country’s armed forces. Turning on opposition, PM Modi slammed "UPA-era mismanagement" that left India unable to negotiate from a position of strength, adding that "During UPA rule, talks would begin and then break down; a little real substancewas achieved despite long negotiations." He declared that the government is committed to reforms and it has displayed it in letter and spirit. PM hailed the private sector as "critical for the next phase of economic transformation" and called for "decisive response" from them. He said the private sector must focus less on protecting margins and "invest aggressively in R&D supply chain," emphasising that the next leap of Vikist Bharat will depend on “bold investment by the private sector, innovation, long-term capacity, and global competitiveness”

PM hailed the private sector as "critical for the next phase of economic transformation" and called for "decisive response" from them. He said the private sector must focus less on protecting margins and "invest aggressively in R&amp;D supply chain.

India struck trade deals from position of strength: PM Modi; calls for higher private R&D spending

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar declared on Saturday (Feb 14) that India remains "wedded to strategic autonomy," even as the country navigates volatile energy markets and a strengthening partnership with Washington. This renewed focus on independent foreign policy comes on the heels of a historic India-US trade deal that ended months of diplomatic friction.&nbsp;Jaishankar was speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, and when asked whether the recent trade agreement with the US compels India to reduce its reliance on Russian oil.&nbsp;"We are very much wedded to strategic autonomy because it's very much a part of our history and our evolution. It's something which is very deep, and it's something which cuts across the political spectrum as well," he said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-us-and-europe-belong-together-but-allies-should-defend-themselves-says-rubio-at-munich-security-conference-1771068794871">‘US and Europe belong together, but allies should defend themselves,’ says Rubio at Munich Security Conference</a>&nbsp;The Minister stated that India's energy sourcing policy is driven by commercial imperatives in a complex and dynamic global oil market.&nbsp;"As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest," he noted.&nbsp;He further said that in a "rapidly changing global environment", countries have to reassess their calculations and recalculations, and added that "India may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and willingness to find common ground remain important."&nbsp;Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that India has committed to stop buying additional Russian oil, as the United States continue to tighten sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.&nbsp;In our conversations with India, we’ve gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil,” he said, outlining steps being taken alongside Europe to sustain pressure on Moscow.

The Minister stated that India's energy sourcing policy is driven by commercial imperatives in a complex and dynamic global oil market.



External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar declared on Saturday (Feb 14) that India remains "wedded to strategic autonomy," even as the country navigates volatile energy markets and a strengthening partnership with Washington. This renewed focus on independent foreign policy comes on the heels of a historic India-US trade deal that ended months of diplomatic friction. Jaishankar was speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, and when asked whether the recent trade agreement with the US compels India to reduce its reliance on Russian oil. "We are very much wedded to strategic autonomy because it's very much a part of our history and our evolution. It's something which is very deep, and it's something which cuts across the political spectrum as well," he said. Also Read: ‘US and Europe belong together, but allies should defend themselves,’ says Rubio at Munich Security Conference The Minister stated that India's energy sourcing policy is driven by commercial imperatives in a complex and dynamic global oil market. "As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest," he noted. He further said that in a "rapidly changing global environment", countries have to reassess their calculations and recalculations, and added that "India may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and willingness to find common ground remain important." Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that India has committed to stop buying additional Russian oil, as the United States continue to tighten sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war. In our conversations with India, we’ve gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil,” he said, outlining steps being taken alongside Europe to sustain pressure on Moscow.

The Minister stated that India's energy sourcing policy is driven by commercial imperatives in a complex and dynamic global oil market.

‘Wedded to strategic autonomy’: EAM Jaishankar on India’s energy policy

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that recent changes made to the White House fact sheet on the India-US trade deal are consistent with the mutual understanding reached by both countries. Addressing the issue during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that the joint statement issued by New Delhi and Washington remains the foundation of the interim trade framework. He said that the changes introduced in the US document align with what was jointly agreed upon.&nbsp;According to Jaiswal, both countries had settled on a joint statement outlining the framework for an interim pact centered on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. He reiterated that this document continues to serve as the guiding basis for shared commitments, and the revised US fact sheet reflects that agreed position.<h2>What were the changes in the White House document?</h2>A few days after the joint statement announcing the trade understanding was released on February 7, the White House published a fact sheet on February 9 providing additional details about the “historic” deal. However, the document was updated the following day, February 10, with several notable modifications. One significant change was the removal of “certain pulses” from the list of agricultural products on which India was expected to lower or eliminate tariffs. The earlier version had included items such as dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, specific pulses, soybean oil, wine, and spirits, along with all US industrial goods.&nbsp;Another revision involved digital services taxation. The updated fact sheet no longer mentions India's removal of its digital services levy. India had already withdrawn its 6% equalisation levy on digital advertising services, effective April 1, 2025, making the reference redundant. Additionally, language regarding India’s financial commitments was softened. The earlier version suggested India would invest $500 billion in American energy products, aircraft, precious metals, and other goods. The revised document now states that India “intends to buy” more American products, replacing the stronger language about investment.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-needs-to-grow-up-hardeep-puri-hits-back-at-rahul-gandhi-over-epstein-mention-calls-it-politics-by-innuendo-1770889539798">'Needs to grow up': Hardeep Puri hits back at Rahul Gandhi over Epstein mention, calls it 'politics by innuendo'</a><h2>Background on the trade deal between India and the US</h2>The trade understanding comes after extended negotiations between the two countries amid heightened trade tensions linked to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. The agreement was first hinted at by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor before being confirmed by President Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social. The February 7 joint statement laid out the roadmap for an interim trade arrangement, which will serve as a stepping stone toward a comprehensive bilateral trade deal in the future.<h2>MEA responds on UN report flagging role of JeM</h2>On a United Nations report flagging the role of Jaish-e-Mohammed in the blast near Red Fort last year, MEA said, "On the report of the monitoring team, this particular report is available in the public domain. This was the 37th report of the Analytical and Support Sanctions Monitoring Team, published on 4th February 2026. We have seen that they have taken on board India’s inputs regarding our concerns on cross-border terrorism and also as to how we can strengthen the global fight against terrorism."

India-US trade deal: MEA responds to changes in WH fact sheet, says 'joint statement based on shared understanding'

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that recent changes made to the White House fact sheet on the India-US trade deal are consistent with the mutual understanding reached by both countries. Addressing the issue during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that the joint statement issued by New Delhi and Washington remains the foundation of the interim trade framework. He said that the changes introduced in the US document align with what was jointly agreed upon. According to Jaiswal, both countries had settled on a joint statement outlining the framework for an interim pact centered on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. He reiterated that this document continues to serve as the guiding basis for shared commitments, and the revised US fact sheet reflects that agreed position. What were the changes in the White House document? A few days after the joint statement announcing the trade understanding was released on February 7, the White House published a fact sheet on February 9 providing additional details about the “historic” deal. However, the document was updated the following day, February 10, with several notable modifications. One significant change was the removal of “certain pulses” from the list of agricultural products on which India was expected to lower or eliminate tariffs. The earlier version had included items such as dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, specific pulses, soybean oil, wine, and spirits, along with all US industrial goods. Another revision involved digital services taxation. The updated fact sheet no longer mentions India's removal of its digital services levy. India had already withdrawn its 6% equalisation levy on digital advertising services, effective April 1, 2025, making the reference redundant. Additionally, language regarding India’s financial commitments was softened. The earlier version suggested India would invest $500 billion in American energy products, aircraft, precious metals, and other goods. The revised document now states that India “intends to buy” more American products, replacing the stronger language about investment. Also Read: 'Needs to grow up': Hardeep Puri hits back at Rahul Gandhi over Epstein mention, calls it 'politics by innuendo' Background on the trade deal between India and the US The trade understanding comes after extended negotiations between the two countries amid heightened trade tensions linked to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. The agreement was first hinted at by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor before being confirmed by President Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social. The February 7 joint statement laid out the roadmap for an interim trade arrangement, which will serve as a stepping stone toward a comprehensive bilateral trade deal in the future. MEA responds on UN report flagging role of JeM On a United Nations report flagging the role of Jaish-e-Mohammed in the blast near Red Fort last year, MEA said, "On the report of the monitoring team, this particular report is available in the public domain. This was the 37th report of the Analytical and Support Sanctions Monitoring Team, published on 4th February 2026. We have seen that they have taken on board India’s inputs regarding our concerns on cross-border terrorism and also as to how we can strengthen the global fight against terrorism."

MEA in its weekly briefing on Thursday (February 12), said White House changes to the India-US trade fact sheet match the joint statement and reflect both countries’ shared understanding

In a big statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday (Feb 9) said that efforts are being made to ban India and other partners from purchasing Russian oil. Lavrov directly named the United States, at a time when India and the US signed a trade deal with Trump claiming that India has assured it will stop the purchase of Russian oil. He accused Washington of using "coercive" measures like tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions in order to achieve its goal of economic domination. The Russian Foreign Minister also spoke about Russia-Ukraine peace talks and linked it to the Russian oil.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-we-see-nothing-new-kremlin-breaks-silence-over-trump-s-statement-on-india-halting-russian-oil-purchases-1770257609418">Kremlin breaks silence over Trump’s statement on India halting Russian oil purchases</a>&nbsp;Speaking in an interview with TV BRICS, Lavrov said, "They (US) tell us that the Ukraine problem should be resolved. In Anchorage, we accepted the US Proposal... The US position was important to us. By accepting their proposal, we seem to have completed the task of resolving the Ukrainian issue and moving on to a dull-scale, broad-based and mutually beneficial cooperation. So far, the reality is quite the opposite. New sanctions are imposed, a 'war' against tankers in the open sea is being waged in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. They are trying to ban India and our other partners from buying cheap, affordable Russian energy resources and are forcing them to buy US LNG at exorbitant prices." He also explained that while striking a peace deal, Moscow will also keep in mind that Washington is seeking to control its trade, investment cooperation, and military-technical ties with major strategic partners, such as India and other BRICS members."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-all-citizens-are-thanking-pm-modi-for-a-successful-trade-deal-piyush-goal-on-india-us-trade-agreement-1770119536603">'All citizens are thanking PM Modi for a successful trade deal': Piyush Goyal on India-US trade agreement</a>&nbsp;<h2>India's statement on Russian oil</h2>His statement comes after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that "national interest" would continue to guide India's energy-related decisions, underlining that the key drivers of the country's energy policy are “adequate availability, fair pricing and reliability of supply.” He added that safeguarding the interests of Indian consumers remains a top priority for the government. Earlier on Sunday, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal clarified that India's decisions on Russian oil imports are taken solely by domestic buyers and are not dictated by the recently concluded India-US interim trade agreement framework, noting that it is in the country's "strategic interest" to diversify its energy sources. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also underlined that diversifying energy sourcing in line with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics remains central to India's strategy to ensure energy security for its population of 1.4 billion.<h2>India-US trade deal</h2>Prime Minister Modi confirmed the trade deal with the United States on Monday (Feb 2) and appreciated President Donald Trump’s leadership, terming it “vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.” Trump claimed that India will stop buying Russian oil as the part of the deal. India or PM Modi has not commented on it yet. Trump, who had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports late last year and later doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent punishing Delhi for buying oil from Russia, reduced the tariffs to 18 per cent. Releasing a statement on the deal on Feb 9, the White House called the deal “historic,” and mentioned key points of the deal. Notably, it did not mention anything concrete on India’s Russian oil purchase, and the sole mention of it was in form of a summary of the phone call between Trump and PM Modi. It said that the US "agreed to remove the additional 25% tariff on imports from India in recognition of India’s commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil.”

Russia’s FM Sergei Lavrov accused the US of coercive tactics to block India and others from buying cheap Russian oil, citing sanctions and tanker pressure. India reiterated energy decisions are guided by national interest amid claims linked to the India-US trade deal.

In a big statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday (Feb 9) said that efforts are being made to ban India and other partners from purchasing Russian oil. Lavrov directly named the United States, at a time when India and the US signed a trade deal with Trump claiming that India has assured it will stop the purchase of Russian oil. He accused Washington of using "coercive" measures like tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions in order to achieve its goal of economic domination. The Russian Foreign Minister also spoke about Russia-Ukraine peace talks and linked it to the Russian oil. Also Read: Kremlin breaks silence over Trump’s statement on India halting Russian oil purchases Speaking in an interview with TV BRICS, Lavrov said, "They (US) tell us that the Ukraine problem should be resolved. In Anchorage, we accepted the US Proposal... The US position was important to us. By accepting their proposal, we seem to have completed the task of resolving the Ukrainian issue and moving on to a dull-scale, broad-based and mutually beneficial cooperation. So far, the reality is quite the opposite. New sanctions are imposed, a 'war' against tankers in the open sea is being waged in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. They are trying to ban India and our other partners from buying cheap, affordable Russian energy resources and are forcing them to buy US LNG at exorbitant prices." He also explained that while striking a peace deal, Moscow will also keep in mind that Washington is seeking to control its trade, investment cooperation, and military-technical ties with major strategic partners, such as India and other BRICS members." Also Read: 'All citizens are thanking PM Modi for a successful trade deal': Piyush Goyal on India-US trade agreement India's statement on Russian oil His statement comes after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that "national interest" would continue to guide India's energy-related decisions, underlining that the key drivers of the country's energy policy are “adequate availability, fair pricing and reliability of supply.” He added that safeguarding the interests of Indian consumers remains a top priority for the government. Earlier on Sunday, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal clarified that India's decisions on Russian oil imports are taken solely by domestic buyers and are not dictated by the recently concluded India-US interim trade agreement framework, noting that it is in the country's "strategic interest" to diversify its energy sources. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also underlined that diversifying energy sourcing in line with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics remains central to India's strategy to ensure energy security for its population of 1.4 billion. India-US trade deal Prime Minister Modi confirmed the trade deal with the United States on Monday (Feb 2) and appreciated President Donald Trump’s leadership, terming it “vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.” Trump claimed that India will stop buying Russian oil as the part of the deal. India or PM Modi has not commented on it yet. Trump, who had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports late last year and later doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent punishing Delhi for buying oil from Russia, reduced the tariffs to 18 per cent. Releasing a statement on the deal on Feb 9, the White House called the deal “historic,” and mentioned key points of the deal. Notably, it did not mention anything concrete on India’s Russian oil purchase, and the sole mention of it was in form of a summary of the phone call between Trump and PM Modi. It said that the US "agreed to remove the additional 25% tariff on imports from India in recognition of India’s commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil.”

Russia’s FM Sergei Lavrov accused the US of coercive tactics to block India and others from buying cheap Russian oil, citing sanctions and tanker pressure. India reiterated energy decisions are guided by national interest amid claims linked to the India-US trade deal.

'Trying to ban India...': Moscow's BIG allegation on US amid uncertainty over Russian oil purchase after Washington's trade deal

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