Days after adverse court ruling, Lutnick in Delhi for trade talks

On February 21, Trump announced a blanket 15 per cent levy for 150 days on goods imported into the US from around the world – India now faces a tariff rate of 15 per cent, down from 18 per cent.

Before the court ruling, India and the US had planned to sign the trade deal in March, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was expected to visit India.

The ruling appeared to have changed the dynamics in the trade deal negotiations – Washington had been using reciprocal tariffs as leverage for an agreement.

On Monday, Trump warned trade partners of higher tariffs if they “play games” over the Supreme Court order. A number of countries have expressed concern over their US deal following the court ruling.

A vocal critic of Indian trade policy, Lutnik’s visit to India could mean easing of tensions between India and the US. In January, he said India “missed the train” on multiple occasions to sign a trade deal earlier.

In September last year, Lutnick said India would be back at the negotiating table in one or two months, “saying sorry” to try to sign the trade deal. The US, he underlined, is the largest consumer in the world and the “consumer is always right”.