India-US trade standoff: ‘India is a strategic partner, we engage in frank dialogue,’ says US State Dept amid rift

Despite US President Donald Trump halting trade talks and imposing 50 per cent – some of the highest in the world – tariffs on India, the State Department sought to strike a more measured tone. A negotiating team from the US was scheduled to land in India on August 25 to further discuss the bilateral trade agreement between the nations. 

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, during the press briefing, “What I can say in terms of India is that the President has been very clear in terms of the concerns he has regarding the trade imbalance, regarding the concerns he has when it comes to the purchase of Russian oil. You have seen him take action directly on that.”

Pigott said, “India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. That will continue.” He acknowledged that no two countries can align 100 per cent of the time on everything but added that Trump has been clear since the beginning. “The President has been clear (about) the concerns that he has with the trade imbalance, the concerns he has with India purchasing Russian oil. He has taken action,” Pigott said. He was answering a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit from August 31 to September 1, the first in seven years.

In yet another question about the US’ worsening relationship with India and New Delhi’s potential shift towards Beijing, Pigott said that this is about an “honest, full and frank dialogue” about real concerns that this administration has. “Addressing those concerns is important. That is part of what it means to have a frank dialogue…Ultimately, this is about a frank and full dialogue, and that is what it means to advance American interests. That is what it means to really have full diplomatic dialogue with partners to address concerns that we need to see addressed,” he said.

Trump seeks to penalise New Delhi for its continued purchase of Russian oil, which he claims is financing Russia’s war on Ukraine. However, India calling the decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs “unfair” also exposed US’ duplicity in the matter. Washington as well as the European Union and China still have trade ties with Russia and import from Moscow.