Jaishankar on India–US Trade Talks: No ‘Kutti’ But Farmers Interests Come First

On Friday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar lightened the mood around the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, saying it was not as if there had been a "kutti" a colloquial Tamil word used by children to indicate a break in friendship. He clarified that the discussions are far from over but have, in fact, defined the limits within which India will protect its domestic interests.

Farmers and Small Producers Front and Center

Jaishankar underscored how hard the Indian government is unwilling to go for the livelihood of farmers and small-scale producers.

He commented, "Our red lines are mainly concerning farmers and small producers, to some extent." These equations weigh high on every trade-related decision, which means whatever agreement is reached with Washington cannot compromise India's agriculture and domestic production sectors. 

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Talks Going on Despite the Drawbacks

Responding to a question on the status of negotiations, Jaishankar reiterated that the negotiations were active. "Nobody has stopped the talks or declared them off. They are continuing, though at their own pace," he clarified. His comments were made during a period when reports claimed a scheduled US delegation's trip to India might be postponed, which does imply that things are moving slowly, but dialogue is very much active. 

Tariff Turbulence and Policy Turmoil

The last couple of weakness had received the share of turbulence in trade ties between the two nations especially after President Donald Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on and threatened to double those on Indian imports by the end of August. This has put a big strain on the mood of cooperation and raised a question mark in New Delhi on the unpredictability of US trade policy.

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Jaishankar also, at the same forum, remarked that Trump’s method of foreign affairs is “a very major departure from the traditional orthodox manner” considering how bizarrely public his mechanism has been compared to the previous administrations. 

Tariff Announcements and Oil Purchases

Interestingly, Jaishankar hinted that Washington did not directly raise the issue of India’s purchase of Russian oil before announcing tariffs, indicating domestic U.S. politics rather than bilateral consultations may be driving the trade dispute. 

However, Jaishankar's statement also gave emphasis to the fact that, notwithstanding the differences, India is keeping those channels for negotiation open. The government has made its position loud and clear: it will continue to engage, but not at the cost of its farmers and small producers.

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