Washington, D.C., July 3 (ANI): India is an “essential partner” for the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mignon Houston said Wednesday, as bilateral trade talks between the two nations continue ahead of a key deadline.
Speaking to ANI, Houston emphasized the United States’ goal of establishing “fair and reciprocal” trade relationships with its partners, in line with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda.
“We want trade that is fair and reciprocal. Working closely, India is an essential partner in the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. We expect that all our partners understand why this is so important to the ‘America First’ agenda—that we look for trade policies that have fairness, reciprocity, and balance to ensure that all parties benefit,” Houston said.
She defended the administration’s decision to impose tariffs, arguing that unfair trade practices had harmed American farmers and industries.
“These tariffs are a way for countries to meet us at a place of fairness. The United States has an open economy, but there are unfair trade policies that have impacted US farmers and industries,” she said.
Talks on a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between India and the US are ongoing, with a July 9 deadline looming. That date marks the end of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariff hikes.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about reaching a deal with India and pledged reduced tariffs.
“I think we are going to have a deal with India. And that is going to be a different kind of a deal. It is going to be a deal where we are able to go in and compete. Right now, India does not accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, and if they do that, we are going to have a deal for much less tariffs,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, India has taken a firmer stand on agricultural issues in the negotiations. According to government sources, India’s negotiating team, led by Chief Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, has extended its stay in Washington to continue discussions.
The talks, initially scheduled for Thursday and Friday, were extended as both sides worked toward finalizing an interim agreement before the July 9 deadline.
A senior US official warned that failure to reach an agreement would result in the reinstatement of a 26 percent tariff structure that had been temporarily suspended for 90 days. Those tariffs were first imposed during the Trump administration on April 2.
“The failure of these trade discussions would trigger the immediate reimplementation of the 26 percent tariff structure,” the official said.
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