Jaishankar speaks to US Secretary of State Rubio, focus on trade deal

India and the United States on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to an “early conclusion” of a bilateral trade agreement, amid ongoing global trade tensions following new tariff announcements by the US. Talks between the two countries have gained momentum in recent weeks, particularly after US President Donald Trump announced a reciprocal tariff of 26 percent on goods imported from India. This move is part of a broader tariff framework covering nearly all of the United States’ trading partners.
“Exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, the Indian Subcontinent, Europe, Middle East/West Asia and the Caribbean,” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in a post on X following a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Agreed on the importance of the early conclusion of the Bilateral Trade Agreement,” Jaishankar added, noting that both sides would remain in close contact.
This phone call marks the first publicly known interaction between cabinet officials of the two countries since Trump’s announcement last Wednesday. India has so far refrained from announcing retaliatory tariffs, in contrast to China, which imposed a 34 percent duty on American goods on Friday in response to the US move. Most other US trading partners, including Vietnam and Japan, have opted for dialogue over retaliation. Vietnam, for instance, has offered to reduce its tariffs to zero in an effort to maintain trade relations.