US-India trade deal gets delayed over Modi’s missed call to Trump
Speaking on a podcast Thursday, Lutnick recounted the negotiations and said, “It’s all set up. He has [US President Donald Trump] the [deal] closer. He does the deal. So I said, ‘You’ve got to have Modi. It’s all set up. You have to have Modi call the president.’” He added, “They [India] were uncomfortable doing it. So, Modi didn’t call.”
The remarks came in the context of stalled trade discussions the previous year, which led the Trump administration to impose higher tariffs on Indian products, including a 50% levy partly in response to India’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil during the Ukraine conflict, as stated by reports.
Negotiations between the two countries resumed in September after US Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch met with Indian officials in New Delhi.
India, however, rejected Lutnick’s portrayal on Friday. Officials emphasized that New Delhi has been committed to pursuing a bilateral trade agreement with the United States “as far back as 13 February last year.” The statement clarified, “On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterization of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate,” noting that Trump and Modi spoke eight times during the previous year.
The Indian ministry concluded that the country remains committed to “a mutually beneficial trade deal between two complementary economies and look[s] forward to concluding it,” according to reports.
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