If Indians don't budge, Trump won't: US adviser Hassett warns as tariffs hit 50%

US Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett warned Wednesday that the president will not soften his stance if India refuses concessions, as US tariffs on Indian imports doubled to 50 per cent amid strained ties.

"If the Indians don’t budge, I don’t think President Trump will," said top Trump adviser Hassett on Wednesday, pointing at the White House’s frustration with India’s trade stance as Washington doubled tariffs on Indian imports.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Hassett accused India of "intransigence" in opening its markets to American products and suggested President Trump could harden his approach further if New Delhi refuses to yield ground.

"I think it’s a complicated relationship," Hassett said.

"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. And then there’s the Indian intransigence about opening their markets to our products," he added.

The remarks came as US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that tariffs on Indian goods entering the United States jumped to 50 per cent on Wednesday, following Trump’s August 6 Executive Order. The move, officials said, was driven both by India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and the slow pace of trade deal talks.

Hassett cast the negotiations as a long game but warned that patience should not be mistaken for weakness.

"When you look at trade negotiations, one lesson we’ve all learnt is that you need to keep your eyes on the horizon and recognise that there are going to be ebbs and flows before we reach the final position," he said.

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Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also spoke about the bilateral ties, saying they were "complicated", but expressed confidence that the two countries would come together "at the end of the day".

In an interview with Fox Business, Bessent said he had hoped that a trade deal would be reached with India by May or June and highlighted that New Delhi's stance in the negotiations was "performative", pushing back from his earlier remarks, when he said that New Delhi was "a bit uncooperative" during the talks.

"This is a very complicated relationship. PM Modi and Trump have a very good relationship at that level... I do think India is the world's largest democracy and the US is the world's largest economy. I think at the end of the day we will come together."

- Ends

With inputs from agencies

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