India Stands Firm on Trade Redlines Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure

Trade talks with Washington are ongoing, but India has drawn firm redlines, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Saturday, underscoring the need to protect farmers and small producers. His comments come days before additional U.S. tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods take effect, among the steepest levies imposed by Washington, in response to New Delhi’s increased Russian oil imports. A 25% duty is already in place, with another 25% set for August 27, while hopes of relief faded after U.S. negotiators canceled a planned August 25–29 visit to New Delhi. Earlier this year, trade talks collapsed after India refused to open its agricultural and dairy sectors. Bilateral trade between the world’s largest and fifth-largest economies exceeds USD 190 billion. Defending India’s position, Jaishankar said, “It is our right to make decisions in our national interest,” while noting that Washington has not applied similar pressure on other major Russian oil buyers such as China and the EU.