US trade adviser Peter Navarro again criticized India’s high tariffs and Russian oil purchases ahead of the key India-US trade talks. US chief negotiator Brendan Lynch has arrived in Delhi to resume stalled trade negotiations.
US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, again sharply criticised India’s trade policies on Monday. In an interview with CNBC, Navarro called India a country with the “highest tariffs” among major nations. He said that India has very high non-tariff barriers, which make trading difficult for the US.
Navarro mentioned that Indian refiners continued purchasing Russian crude oil after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He claimed that Indian companies made huge profits from this and used the money to buy more Russian oil. He said, “Indian refiners got in bed with Russian refiners immediately after the invasion, and they’re making out like bandits.” He criticised this as unfair and harmful to the global community.
Concerns over PM Modi’s Role at SCO
Navarro also commented on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appearance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navarro said it was ‘an interesting stretch’ for Modi to appear alongside leaders of India’s traditional rival China and Russia.
In the past, Navarro called India the ‘maharaja of tariffs’ and accused the country of supporting Russia’s war by buying crude oil from them. He even called the situation ‘Modi’s war’ because of India’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil.
US Chief negotiator in India
Brendan Lynch, the US chief trade negotiator, is scheduled to arrive in India on late Monday night. His visit aims to restart the India-US bilateral trade agreement talks. The sixth round of negotiations was initially planned for August 25-29 but was suspended after the US imposed a 50% tariff on Indian products.
A senior Indian commerce ministry official said that Lynch’s visit is for brief discussions before the formal sixth round of talks. Lynch serves as Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia and is responsible for shaping and implementing US trade policy in the region.
The official said, “Tomorrow’s talks will be a precursor to the sixth round of negotiations.” Lynch’s role includes coordinating activities under the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs).
Strong India-US relations amid tensions
Despite the current tensions, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump have called the India-US relationship important. Navarro himself admitted that India is ‘coming to the table’ and that PM Modi had tweeted a ‘very conciliatory, nice, constructive message’, which Trump responded to positively.
However, the sharp criticism from Navarro makes it clear that some serious disagreements remain between the two countries, especially over tariffs and India’s Russian oil purchases.
Way forward in talks
The India-US trade talks will be critical in shaping the economic relationship between the two nations. Both sides aim to resolve differences over tariffs, market access, and trade practices. Analysts say that resolving these issues will be essential not only for economic growth but also for strengthening diplomatic ties.
The final outcome of the upcoming meetings could set the tone for the future of India-US trade relations.
(With inputs from agencies)