India, US Restart Trade Talks

(MENAFN) India and the United States resumed trade discussions on Tuesday, amid strains stemming from the Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods, partly linked to India’s acquisition of Russian oil during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Television footage captured US Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch arriving at India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry in New Delhi to meet with his Indian counterpart Rajesh Agarwal.

Lynch reached the Indian capital on Monday night to negotiate an India-US trade agreement. This marks the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries since President Donald Trump enacted the punitive tariffs in August.

Tensions first arose when the US imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports, later raising it to 50% in reaction to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

Ahead of the discussions on Tuesday, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro described India as the “maharaja of tariffs” but noted that it was now “coming to the table.”

“Indian refiners were in bed with Russian refiners immediately after the invasion. They make money off us via unfair trade and many workers get screwed. They use that money to buy Russian oil, and Russians use that to buy weapons,” Navarro told a news outlet on Monday.

Last week, President Trump stated that Washington and New Delhi are continuing negotiations to resolve trade barriers between the two nations.

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