India 'coming to negotiating table': Trump's trade adviser Navarro
What's the story
Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to United States President Donald Trump, has stated that India is "coming to the negotiating table" for a bilateral trade deal. His comments came as a US delegation reached Delhi for important discussions with Indian officials on Tuesday. "India is coming to the table. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi sent out a very conciliatory, nice, constructive tweet, and President (Donald) Trump responded to that," Navarro told CNBC.
Presidential optimism
Trump optimistic about reaching successful conclusion
Last week, Trump said that India and the US are "continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers." He expressed optimism about reaching a successful conclusion for both countries. In response, PM Modi said he was "confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership." He added that their teams are working to conclude discussions soon.
Trade barriers
Navarro slams India for high tariffs, buying Russian oil
In the past, Navarro had criticized India's high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. He accused India of buying Russian oil after the Russia-Ukraine war started in 2022, hurting American workers. "The Indian refiners got in bed with the Russian refiners immediately after the invasion," he said. He also questioned PM Modi's comfort level sharing a stage with China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin at a recent summit.
Negotiation progress
US chief negotiator arrives in Delhi for talks
The remarks from Navarro came as US chief negotiator Brendan Lynch reached Delhi for discussions on the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA). So far, New Delhi and Washington have held five rounds of negotiations. The sixth round was postponed after Trump imposed tariffs on Indian goods. India's chief negotiator, Rajesh Agarwal, said on Monday that the talks would be a precursor to future negotiations.