• Source:JND
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US President Donald Trump’s aide and White House Trade Advisor, Peter Navarro, has once again targeted India over its trade practices and purchases of Russian oil, saying the country is finally “coming to the table.” Navarro, in a pointed interview with CNBC International, said, “They make money off us via unfair trade and many workers get screwed. They use that money to buy Russian oil, and Russians use that to buy weapons.”

He added, “Indian refiners were in bed with Russian refiners immediately after the invasion… It’s crazy stuff, because they make money off us via unfair trade and many workers get screwed. India is coming to the table. On the trade side, they have very high tariffs.” Navarro’s remarks come as US-India trade relations appear to be entering a more conciliatory phase following recent exchanges between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Trump.

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US Negotiator Arrives In Delhi

The comments coincided with the arrival of Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, in New Delhi on Monday night, September 15. Lynch is scheduled to meet India’s chief negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal, to discuss the next steps in the ongoing bilateral trade talks. According to Agarwal, India and the United States will “fast-track” the negotiations, although no further details were provided. The one-day visit is expected to focus on addressing outstanding trade barriers and tariff issues.

In his interview, Navarro emphasised that India has the highest tariffs of any major country against the United States and maintains significant non-tariff barriers. “We had to deal with that like we’re dealing with every other country that does that,” he said, stressing that progress would require India to make substantive concessions on trade policies and Russian oil purchases.

Trump-Modi Diplomatic Warming

Navarro also highlighted the positive tone set by recent social media interactions between Trump and Modi. “Prime Minister Modi sent out a very conciliatory, nice, constructive tweet, and President Trump responded. We’ll see that this is how this works,” Navarro said. The personal rapport between the two leaders appears to have added momentum to the stalled trade negotiations.

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Earlier, Navarro had warned that India “must come around” on trade negotiations or risk an unfavourable outcome. He described India as the “Maharajah” of tariffs and criticised what he saw as profiteering from Russian oil post-invasion. The upcoming discussions with Lynch will be critical in determining whether India’s concessions will satisfy the US and pave the way for a broader bilateral trade agreement