‘If Indians don’t budge, I don’t think President will’: Trump adviser

Washington: The United States signalled on Wednesday that tariff relief for India will remain off the table unless New Delhi reduces its imports of Russian crude. US National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said discussions between the two countries had become “complicated” due to both energy and market access issues.

“If the Indians don’t budge, I don’t think President Trump will,” Hassett remarked while explaining Washington’s stance. His comments came hours after the US doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, a rate higher than that imposed on any nation other than Brazil. The revised duties also carry an additional 25 per cent levy linked directly to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.

According to Hassett, the matter was not only about bilateral trade but also tied to global geopolitics. “Part of it has been tied to the pressure we’ve been trying to put on Russia in order to secure a peace deal and save millions of lives,” he said. At the same time, he criticised what he described as Indian “intransigence” in allowing greater access to American products.

Comparing trade talks to a marathon, Hassett noted that negotiators “need to keep [their] eyes on the horizon” while navigating the “ebbs and flows” of the process.