🧩 India Holds Line as U.S. Tariffs Loom

With fresh U.S. tariffs set to double on August 27, India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar insisted Saturday that trade negotiations are still alive — but warned New Delhi has “red lines” it won’t cross.

🇮🇳 Jaishankar singled out protecting India’s farmers and small producers, stressing that national interest cannot be bargained away.

“It is our right to make decisions in our national interest,”

he said at a New Delhi forum.

💰 The dispute stems from India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil. Washington has already slapped 25% tariffs on Indian goods, with another 25% to follow within days. Analysts warn the full tariff hit could shave nearly a percentage point off India’s economic growth this year and next.

🌍 Jaishankar called President Trump’s tariff diplomacy “unusual,” noting that other big buyers of Russian oil — including China and the EU — face no such penalties. He added that Russia’s trade with Europe is far larger than with India.

📉 The collapse of U.S. negotiators’ planned New Delhi visit this week has dimmed hopes of avoiding the new levies. Capital Economics cautioned that high tariffs could damage India’s ambitions as a global manufacturing hub.

As deadlines approach, New Delhi faces a stark choice: hold firm on sovereignty — or absorb the economic blow.

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