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US calls India a ‘strategic partner’ despite trade freeze and steep tariff hike
At a press briefing on Thursday, Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, said: “India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. That will continue.”
At a press briefing on Thursday, Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, said: “India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. That will continue.”
The United States has reaffirmed its view of India as a “strategic partner” despite escalating tensions over trade and energy policy, with Washington underscoring the importance of maintaining an “honest, full and frank dialogue” to address disputes.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, said: “India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. That will continue.”
Pigott noted that President Donald Trump had been “very clear” in voicing his concerns about the trade imbalance and India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
“Addressing those concerns through his actions, he’s spoken about them – whether it’s the purchase of Russian oil or the trade imbalance. Addressing those concerns is important. Ultimately, this is about a frank and full dialogue… to advance American interests,” Pigott stated.
His remarks came just hours after President Trump declared there would be no trade negotiations with India until the current impasse was resolved. “No, not until we get it resolved,” he told ANI during an Oval Office interaction.
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 percentage points on existing tariffs on Indian goods, bringing the total duty to 50 per cent. The White House defended the measure on national security and foreign policy grounds, citing India’s imports of Russian oil – which it characterised as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.
When asked if Washington feared the move could push India closer to China, Pigott stressed that the US approach was to confront differences directly. “This is about an honest, full and frank dialogue about real concerns that this administration has, which the President has outlined very clearly,” he said.
New Delhi, for its part, has dismissed the tariff increase as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”. The Ministry of External Affairs said it would take “all actions necessary to protect its national interests”.
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