India’s Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, stated that while trade negotiations with Washington are ongoing, New Delhi has critical lines it must defend, with a deadline for significant additional U.S. tariffs just days away. Indian goods are set to face cumulative tariffs of up to 50%, a measure linked to the country’s increased purchases of Russian oil. A 25% tariff is already in effect, with the remaining portion scheduled for implementation on August 27.
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Hopes for a resolution have diminished following the cancellation of a planned visit by U.S. trade negotiators to New Delhi, which was scheduled for August 25-29. Speaking at a forum, Minister Jaishankar emphasized that India has “redlines in the negotiations, to be maintained and defended,” specifically highlighting the need to protect the nation’s farmers and small producers. This stance follows the collapse of earlier trade talks this year when India declined to open its extensive agricultural and dairy markets, which are key sectors in a bilateral trade relationship worth over $190 billion.
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Economic analysts warn that if the full tariffs are enforced, the impact on India’s economic growth could be a reduction of 0.8 percentage points for both this year and the next, with potential long-term damage to its reputation as a global manufacturing hub. Jaishankar commented on the “unusual” nature of the U.S. administration’s public approach to foreign policy, noting it as a departure from traditional diplomacy. He asserted India’s sovereign right to make decisions based on its “national interest.”
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Furthermore, the minister pointed out a perceived inconsistency in Washington’s policy, questioning why similar concerns over Russian oil purchases were not directed at other major buyers like China and the European Union. He noted that Russia-EU trade volume surpasses that of India-Russia trade and revealed that India’s oil procurement had not been raised as an issue in previous trade discussions before the tariffs were publicly announced.
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