Peter Navarro, Donald Trump’s trade adviser, on Monday stepped up his attack on India for its trade policies and oil purchases from Russia, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President still call the India-US relationship important.
Talking to CNBC about the stalled trade deal between the two nations, Navarro said, “India is coming to the table. Prime Minister Modi, sent out a very conciliatory, nice, constructive tweet and President Trump responded to that, we’ll see that this is how this works. But as a practical matter, we know that on the trade side, they have the highest tariffs of any major country. They have very high non-tariff barriers. We had to deal with that like we’re dealing with every other country that does that.”
Navarro, who has frequently attacked India over its trade policies, said: “Indian refiners got in bed with the Russian refiners immediately after the invasion, and they’re making out like bandits. It’s crazy stuff, because they made money off of us in unfair trade. Then they use that money to buy Russian oil, and then the Russians use that to buy weapons, and then we as taxpayers have to pay more for this, for the defence of Ukraine. And so how can that be?”
He also commented on PM Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. “…and watching Modi on the stage with China, which has been its longtime existential threat, and Putin – that was an interesting stretch, I don’t think he felt comfortable doing,” Navarro said.
Expressing optimism of a deal, Trump said last week that trade negotiations between India and the US were ongoing. He added that he would soon speak to his “very good friend,” PM Modi.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!”
Responding to Trump’s statement, PM Modi wrote on X that India and the United States are close friends and natural partners.
“India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people.”
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