**‘Red lines must be respected’: Jaishankar on US-India trade talks**
*By Snehil Singh | Oct 06, 2025, 10:28 AM*
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has emphasized the importance of respecting India’s “red lines” in any potential trade agreement with the United States. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Enclave, he acknowledged the existing challenges between the two countries, particularly over tariffs.
“We have today issues with the United States,” Jaishankar stated, highlighting the difficulties in finding common ground during trade talks.
### Tariff Criticism
The minister criticized the US for imposing what he described as “unfair tariffs” on India. He pointed out one such tariff related to India’s energy sourcing from Russia. Jaishankar noted that while other countries maintain more antagonistic relations with Russia, they have not faced similar scrutiny or tariffs.
### Importance of Trade Understanding
Jaishankar stressed that reaching a trade understanding with the US is crucial, given that it remains the world’s largest market. He added that many countries have successfully negotiated trade agreements with the US, underscoring the significance of such engagement for India.
### Commitment to Negotiation
Reiterating India’s commitment to ongoing trade talks since March, Jaishankar acknowledged the strains in the relationship but emphasized that many aspects of India-US engagement continue as usual or have even improved.
“There are problems. Nobody is in denial of it,” he said. “These issues need to be negotiated and resolved.”
### Historical Context
The US-India trade relationship has been tense since the Trump administration significantly increased tariffs on Indian goods, raising them to as high as 50%. This includes an additional 25% duty imposed on India due to its purchase of Russian crude oil.
India had condemned the US action at the time as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”
As trade talks proceed, both nations remain focused on finding common ground while respecting each other’s core concerns.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/jaishankar-says-us-trade-deal-must-respect-india-s-red-lines/story