The TOI correspondent from Washington: Predicting that a “golden age” for ties between US and India is coming up ahead, the Trump administration is giving out an “all is well” signal despite the failure of the two countries to close out a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) hours ahead of the April 2 Trump deadline of reciprocal tariffs.
The US Deputy Secretary of State and India’s second-ranking minister Christopher Landau reached out to India’s foreign minister Vikram Misri over the weekend to discuss business and other issues as delegations from the two nations were finalizing details of a BTA to minimize Trump’s general mutual tariffs, with a potential different or deferral carved out for New Delhi.
Perhaps as a group led by Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Brendan Lynch returned after four weeks of contentious conversations, Trump, who praised India as “one of the highest tariffing nations in the world,” said “it’s going to work out very well” with New Delhi, with praise for Prime Minister Modi.
Landau added a personal touch by posting warm, vague images of a family vacation to India, saying,” I fully anticipate this to be a golden period for relationships, and will always cherish memories of a family vacation that a decade ago. I’m hoping to see you quickly”!
In a telephone contact with Misri to discuss issues of common concern, including “repatriation challenges,” Landau said, referring to US efforts to arrest thousands of illegal Indians.” India is one of the country’s excellent civilizations, and an essential companion for the US in both the political and commercial spheres.
Landau did not go into more detail about the tangles, but a state department readout stated that he thanked Misri for its assistance in addressing illegal immigration to the United States. S and requested New Delhi to cooperate further on this matter. India has agreed to accept back verified illegal immigrants, but it is concerned about the strong-arm tactics being used on deportation flights. It also wants to stop human trafficking cartels that entice potential immigrants by promising them false promises.
Landau and Misri also spoke about “ongoing efforts” to improve ties between the two countries, promote cooperation in defense and technology, and foster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the state department, suggesting the two sides took a whole body approach to ties that PM Modi suggested.
India is credited with making significant concessions during the discussions, agreeing to lower tariffs on more than half of U.S. imports worth more than$ 23 billion, including those on farm products, medical devices, and industrial goods, and proposing a gradual easing of the door to opening up on thorny commodities like wheat, maize, meat, and dairy.
In the coming 48 hours, it will be known whether the generic concessions, which are pending virtual discussions over specific sectors and items, will be sufficient to entice the mercurial US President to declare an India exception. Trump has stated in some interviews that there won’t be any exceptions.
India is a complicated country because of New Delhi’s stodgy refusal to act quickly on some farm products, particularly dairy, where India is the world’s largest milk producer and has strict import laws due to religious requirements, such as those requiring animals not to be fed ruminant-derived feed.
While this dampens states like Wisconsin ( America’s largest dairy state ), which are currently holding a crucial election on Tuesday, some of New Delhi’s previous concessions, notably the import of almonds and apples, benefit Democratic-controlled states like California and Washington, which Republicans have no chance of winning. India later tidied things up by sprinkling on bourbon ( from Kentucky, a state that is heavily Republican ), but the US is demanding more good cheer from New Delhi.
