United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that India purchasing military gear from Russia and its alignment with BRICS on minimizing dependence on the US dollar had “rubbed the United States the wrong way”.
Lutnick was speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in Washington DC. He also mentioned that India has addressed the concerns and the two countries “found a place that really works for both.”
“There were certain things that the Indian government did that generally rubbed the United States the wrong way. For instance, they generally buy military gear from Russia. That’s a way to kind of get under the skin of America, if you go to buy your armaments from Russia. India is starting to move towards buying military equipment from the United States,” Lutnick said.
He also spoke of the dent in the “friendship” between India and the U.S. “…Being a part of BRICS, which is, ‘Oh, let’s move to not support the dollar and dollar hegemony’ — that’s not really the way to make friends and influence people in America. So the President calls that out directly and specifically, and the Indian government is addressing it specifically and directly — and that’s how you move on to a really positive place,” Lutnick said
Lutnick said that a trade deal between India and the U.S. is imminent. “When they put the right person in India, put the right person on the other side of the table, and we've managed (that), I think,” he stated while delivering his keynote address at the eighth edition of the USISPF.
Regarding the trade deficit, Lutnick said the U.S. aims to revive advanced manufacturing domestically, narrow the trade gap, and ensure that American businesses gain fair access to Indian markets
“The United States wants to bring advanced manufacturing back. There are an enormous number of product categories that we are going to be delighted for India to produce. And in fact, there are enormous numbers of industries that we really like to go to, to India. And what happens is, you create the sort of trade deal that puts India in a unique position, because it’ll have a special relationship with the United States,” Lutnick said.
U.S. negotiators are scheduled to land in New Delhi for trade discussions on June 5 and 6. In a parallel development, Washington has dismissed India’s notification at the World Trade Organization, which sought approval for retaliatory measures in response to the 25 percent tariffs imposed by the U.S. on steel and aluminium, as per The Indian Express.
