India cannot be labeled tariff abuser, Modi admn will navigate trade tensions: Former US official

WASHINGTON: Ray Vickery, former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, on Saturday said that India cannot be accused as the tariff abuser, adding that Prime Minister Modi and his administration will continue to manage the delicate trade relationship with the US.

Talking about the tariff talks between India and US, he said that there won’t be anything immediate, although there will be a bluster about how America First is being applied to the economic relations between both the countries.

“It’s my hope that the relationship will continue to be strengthened economically. I don’t see a separation between strategic matters and trade matters. They’re all part of the same reality, and you can’t accuse India of being a tariff abuser and at the same time, they expect a strong US-India relationship, particularly in regard to China and other threats to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region”, he added.

#WATCH | Washington DC: On US-India tariff talks, Ray Vickery, Former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, says “I think you can expect a chaotic approach to international trade, destruction of the World Trade Organisation and in favour of… https://t.co/9yJBfKVtsm pic.twitter.com/e1Syecw1c0

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2025

The former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development further added that Prime Minister Modi and his administration have diagnosed really the president’s predilection so well. He anticipated that the Indian side will be able to navigate the complexities of this trade relationship to avoid immediate adverse impacts.

As the US is going to implement the tariffs on April 2, on March 29, President Donald Trump said that the ‘tariffs are going to work out well between New Delhi and the Washington, DC,’ and expected a favorable outcome.

While answering questions during an Interaction with reporters at the swearing-in ceremony of the US attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, on Friday (local time), Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to him as a “very smart man” and a “great friend”. Trump said, “Prime Minister Modi was here just recently, and we’ve always been very good friends”,

Meanwhile, Arvind Virmani, member of Niti Aayog, on March 28, said that a bilateral trade between India and the US is likely to be signed by the end of the year. (ANI)