Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 6 (ANI): Former diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar has commented on ongoing trade tensions between India and the United States, saying New Delhi has made its best possible offer and that the next move now rests with Washington.
Speaking on tariffs imposed by the US on India and President Donald Trump’s stance, Sajjanhar said India has been waiting for Trump to sign the final negotiated bilateral trade agreement that was submitted to him at the beginning of July.
“We have known for quite some time that we have been waiting for Trump to sign the final negotiated bilateral trade agreement that was submitted to him at the beginning of July. In India, we thought it would be signed at any time. But days kept passing and weeks kept passing. We knew that at the level of the negotiators, the United States had been quite convinced about the balanced agreement. But obviously, Trump had not agreed to it,” he said.
Sajjanhar said India has negotiated in good faith, offering improved access to US products while maintaining certain non-negotiable areas. “We have been negotiating in good faith. We have done all we could to provide better access to US products. But there are a few red lines regarding GMOs and agricultural products. That was made clear to the American side that in areas like dairy products, certain social and religious sensitivities are involved, and we will not be able to move that,” he explained.
Referring to the broader trade relationship, he said the United States has realized that India has made its best offer and is seeking a balanced agreement. “We don’t want it to be a zero-sum game, where the United States gets everything and India gets nothing,” he said.
Sajjanhar also criticized the 25 percent penalty imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil, calling it “very unfair and uncalled for.” He pointed out that other countries, including China and Turkey, are buying larger quantities of Russian oil without facing similar tariffs.
“The 25 percent penalty for purchasing Russian oil is very unfair and uncalled for. Many countries, like China, are buying much more oil from Russia than India is, but no tariffs have been imposed on them. There are other countries like Turkey. In fact, the United States itself is buying certain nuclear materials and fertilizers from Russia,” he said. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that trade between Russia and the United States has increased since Trump took office.
Meanwhile, President Trump has issued a fresh warning to India over continued imports of Russian oil, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of his displeasure on the issue.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday (local time), Trump said, “PM Modi’s a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly.”
The recent US strike on Venezuela has once again brought oil to the forefront of global geopolitics. Venezuela has massive oil reserves totaling more than 300 billion barrels, making it the country with the world’s largest proven reserves. However, production has declined to around one million barrels per day due to US sanctions and underinvestment, according to OPEC data.
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