Mint Quick Edit | India-US trade talks: New Delhi should play it by ear
With US President Donald Trump and his team blowing hot and cold over trade ties with India, uncertainty has shrouded what the future holds.
Given how extraneous issues were dragged in and US rigidity put on high-profile display, it’s hard to be even a bit optimistic about a resumption of talks aimed at a trade agreement.
According to India’s government, talks in New Delhi on Tuesday will explore a revival of the round that was left hanging in August.
This is just one aspect of a multi-level engagement that’s turning out more complex than anticipated, with the US having doubled its India tariff to 50% last month, but since many points of friction relate to the nitty-gritty of a potential deal, the outcome matters.
American access to our markets for farm produce is a major field of divergence, one where India’s government has drawn the clearest red lines.
While that still leaves space for give-and-take on the whole, our negotiators must recognize that public scrutiny of anything hailed as “win-win” is likely to intensify now that Trump’s outbursts have given him a wide reputation as a bully.
Yet, this must not over-harden India’s stance. If a mutually assuring pact can be forged, it should.
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