1: The visit by US officials to India in the latest half of August for trade negotiations has been halted, as per a media report.
2: India is currently facing a 50 per cent tariff on its products, the highest in the world.
3: Modi reaffirmed that India would not compromise on the interests of farmers and fisherfolk “even if it entailed paying a very heavy personal price”
The India-US trade negotiations, which began in February following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, have been put on hold. A scheduled visit by US officials to New Delhi in the second half of August has been “halted” for now, a source told The Indian Express.
The suspension comes at a time when President Donald Trump has announced a 50 per cent tariff on Indian products — the highest imposed on any country in the world.
A 25 per cent tariff is already in place, while another 25 per cent linked to India’s purchases of Russian oil may depend on “how geopolitical events unfold,” government officials told The Indian Express.
Talks have stalled over India’s stance on protecting its farmers in every trade agreement. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been pushing for greater market access for its agricultural goods.
In his Independence Day address on Friday, Modi reaffirmed that India would not compromise on the welfare of farmers, fisherfolk and cattle keepers, underscoring the ongoing standoff with the USA over agricultural and dairy trade.
Earlier, on August 7, after Trump announced the additional tariff, Modi declared he would not compromise “even if it entailed paying a very heavy personal price”
The uncertainty over tariff relief is likely to continue, especially as Trump’s high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska failed to secure a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire. While Trump said progress was made, no breakthrough was announced.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has cautioned that secondary tariffs on India could rise depending on the outcome of future talks with Moscow. “I think everyone has been frustrated with President Putin. We expected that he would come to the table in a more fulsome way. It looks like he may be ready to negotiate. And we put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. I could see, if things don’t go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,” Bessent told Bloomberg in an interview.
