The already-strained trade relationship between the United States and India has deteriorated further, with US President Donald Trump announcing a halt to all trade negotiations with New Delhi. The move comes just days after his administration imposed a sweeping 50% tariff on Indian imports and signals a new low in bilateral ties.
When asked if he expected more trade talks with India, President Trump gave a blunt "Not until we get it resolved." This hardline stance follows the imposition of an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, a direct penalty for India's continued purchase of oil from Russia.
India has responded with equal firmness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the country's top priority is the interest of its farmers and that India is ready to pay any "heavy price" to protect them. The Ministry of External Affairs has also hit back, criticising the US for its "double standards." It pointed out that other major buyers of Russian oil, like China and Turkey, have not been subjected to similar punitive measures.
The combination of a 50% tariff, the threat of more "secondary sanctions," and now the suspension of all trade talks has pushed the economic partnership between the two nations to its most contentious point in over two decades. With both leaders digging in their heels, the path to a resolution appears increasingly difficult, leaving a crucial strategic relationship in a state of deep uncertainty.
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