Trade talks between India-US underway, far from being final: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's remarks came on the same day as US President Donald Trump claimed that India has proposed zero tariffs on American goods

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday confirmed that trade talks between India and the US are underway, adding that the process is far from being final.

 

Speaking on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi, Jaishankar noted that the process is intricate and cautioned against premature conclusions, ANI reported. He said, “Between India and the US, trade talks have been going on, negotiations have been going on. The team is just going at it at this point... These are very complicated negotiations; they are very intricate. Nothing is decided till everything is. Any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial; any trade deal has to work for both countries. That would be our expectation from the trade deal. Until that is done, any judgment on it would be premature.”

 

Jaishankar’s remarks came on the same day as US President Donald Trump claimed that India has proposed zero tariffs on American goods as part of its effort to secure a trade deal with the US, before the 90-day pause ends. Addressing a gathering in Qatar, Trump said, “They’ve offered us a deal where basically they’re willing to literally charge us no tariff... They’re the highest, and now they’re saying no tariff.”

 

Trump imposed a 26 per cent ‘discounted, reciprocal tariff’ on India on April 2 as opposed to the 52 per cent tariff rate imposed by India on US-made goods. On April 9, however, Trump announced a 90-day pause, with several nations rushing to broker a deal with the US. Previously, Trump also claimed that a deal with India, Japan, and South Korea could come soon and the trade talks between India and the US are “coming along great”.

 

India-Pak tensions 

On Thursday, Trump also claimed that he had helped in settling tensions between India and Pakistan. Addressing the US troops during his visit to Qatar, Trump noted that he had talked to both countries regarding trade. He said, “Let’s trade instead of going to war. And Pakistan was very happy with that, and India was very happy with that, and I think they’re on the way, you know, they have been fighting for about 1,000 years in all fairness, he said as he laughed slightly.”

 

Trump’s remarks were made in light of the recent tensions witnessed between India and Pakistan since the Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on terrorist infrastructure at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The coordinated missile strikes were in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including one Nepali citizen at Baisaran Valley. Following India's strike at terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling across the border areas along the Line of Control (LoC). On May 10, the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to an “understanding to stop all firing and military action”.

 

(With agency inputs)