Mumbai: In a renewed warning to India amid ongoing trade negotiations, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a key aide to former President Donald Trump, said that New Delhi “needs fixing” and must “play ball with the President” if it wishes to maintain access to American consumers.
Taking aim at India and Brazil, Lutnick said both countries needed to open their markets and stop taking measures that harm US interests. “We have a bunch of countries to fix, like Switzerland, Brazil, India — these are countries that need to really react correctly to America. Open their markets, stop taking actions that harm America, and that’s why we’re off sides with them,” Lutnick told NewsNation in an interview.
India is currently grappling with some of the steepest US tariffs, including 50% levies on certain imports and a 100% duty on branded and patented pharmaceutical products, a move that has squeezed Indian drugmakers, nearly 40% of whose revenues come from the US market. The 50% tariffs also include a 25% penalty linked to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
“If you want to sell to US consumers, you’ve got to play ball with the President of the United States,” Lutnick said, adding that Trump’s negotiation style involves progressively tougher deals: “The first deal is always the best deal. And then the next deal is higher, the next deal is higher, the next deal’s higher.”
He further flagged India and Brazil as among the “big ones” on Washington’s trade agenda, alongside upcoming talks with Taiwan. “India and Brazil are little… but we’ll sort it out over time,” Lutnick remarked.
Trade Talks Back on Track
Despite the tough rhetoric, trade talks between India and the US have resumed. A delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington from September 22–24, holding discussions with US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer and Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor.
The Commerce Ministry described the meetings as “constructive” and said both sides had exchanged views on the contours of a possible deal. “It was decided to continue the engagement with a view to achieve an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” the ministry said in a statement.
Indian officials also engaged with US businesses and investors, underscoring confidence in the country’s growth trajectory and highlighting opportunities for expanding bilateral trade and investment.
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