Trade tables flip? Trump aide's quiet India visit after tariff setback
India Today
The tide seems to have turned after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump's global tariffs. Several countries that struck trade deals with the US are now reassessing their positions. India also postponed a US visit of its trade team. Against this backdrop, Howard Lutnick's quiet Delhi visit holds significance. Here's why.
Just a handful of months ago, Donald Trump's aide Howard Lutnick made a bold prediction. Amid the trade deal logjam, the US Commerce Secretary said India would eventually give in to the tariff pressure, say sorry, and try to make an agreement. Cut back to February 26, and the tide seems to have turned. On Thursday, it was Lutnick who travelled all the way to Delhi to meet Union Minister Piyush Goyal after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump's sweeping global tariffs.
The hush-hush meeting, which was not publicly announced by either the US or India, came after the court ruling cast fresh confusion over the proposed interim trade deal, which was to be signed next month. It was not until Goyal tweeted on Thursday afternoon that India came to know of Lutnick's visit. Accompanying him was US envoy Sergio Gor.
"Hosted US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick and Sergio Gor. Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership," Goyal tweeted, without divulging much on the meeting. However, the mention of "trade" and "economic partnership" gave ample hints that the proposed trade deal was the focal point of talks.
The three leaders were all smiles as they posed for a photo. Goyal seemed to have a broader smile (we will come to the reasons a bit later). Overall, the optics indicated that whatever talks took place happened in a calm atmosphere.
Gor also did not shed much light. "So many areas of cooperation for our two nations. A highly productive lunch with Howard Lutnick and Piyush Goyal," he tweeted.
The timing of Lutnick's visit is crucial. Not too long ago, Lutnick famously claimed in a podcast that the trade deal with India could not materialise last year because Prime Minister Modi refused to directly call Trump.
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