Overview
- On December 18, the U.S. Embassy in India reshared Vice President J.D. Vance’s April quote praising India alongside a photo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after boosting President Trump’s praise of India and Modi.
- Diplomats and analysts read the back-to-back posts as a deliberate show of continuity and goodwill in the relationship despite recent economic frictions.
- India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the sides are very close to a framework for a bilateral trade deal following discussions with Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Rick Switzer in New Delhi.
- The U.S. this year raised tariffs on certain Indian goods to as high as 50% and levied duties tied to India’s Russian oil purchases, and Indian exports to the U.S. fell about 9% year over year in October.
- Negotiations feature U.S. requests for market access on almonds, corn, apples and industrial goods, while India rejects concessions that would affect farmers and the dairy sector, and Modi and Trump held a December 11 call to review ties.