Trump and team 'frustrated' with India over trade talks: US Treasury Secretary

Days after imposing a 25% tariff along with additional penalties on Indian imports, Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the US president and his entire trade team are "frustrated" with India over stalled trade talks.

"Well, I don't know what's going to happen. It will be up to India," Bessent said during an interview on CNBC. "India came to the table early. They've been slow rolling things. So I think that the President, the whole trade team, has been frustrated with them."

US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, announced a sweeping 25% tariff on all Indian imports starting August 1 — a dramatic escalation that also includes penalties over India’s purchases of Russian crude oil and military hardware.

According to Bessent, the US sees India as taking advantage of global sanctions by becoming a key buyer of discounted Russian oil. "They have been a large buyer of sanctioned Russian oil, which they then resell as refined products," he said. "So, they have not been a great global actor."

RUBIO CRITICISES INDIA’S OIL PURCHASES

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed similar sentiments on Thursday, saying that India’s continued oil trade with Russia is helping to sustain Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. Speaking to Fox Radio, Rubio noted that India’s stance is "most certainly a point of irritation" in its relationship with Washington — though not the only one.

Rubio also claimed that President Biden is growing increasingly frustrated with New Delhi’s decision to maintain oil imports from Russia despite having access to "so many other oil vendors." He argued that India’s purchases are effectively helping fund Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Trump’s surprise tariff announcement is widely viewed as a pressure tactic aimed at pushing New Delhi to concede to US trade demands. The move comes as Washington has recently secured favourable trade agreements with key partners, including Japan, the UK, and the European Union.

NO PLANS TO RETALIATE

India has said it will take "all necessary steps" to safeguard its national interests and is currently assessing the full implications of the proposed tariffs.

Playing down all the noise around US tariffs, the government has said that India will not retaliate against the levy and is open for discussion on the negotiation table and finding a solution that serves the best interests of both parties, sources told India Today.

On Thursday, Trump doubled down on his long-standing gripe over India's trade practices, accusing the country of levying "among the highest tariffs in the world" and blaming New Delhi for what he claimed was "very little business" between the two nations.

"I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care," he wrote in a fiery post on Truth Social.

- Ends

With inputs from Reuters

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