US official says differences with India cannot be resolved overnight for deal
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday Washington was still negotiating with India on trade after announcing earlier that day the US would impose a 25 percent tariff on goods imported from the country starting on Friday.
The 25 percent figure would single out India more severely than other major trading partners, and threaten to unravel months of talks between the two countries, undermining a strategic partner of Washington's and a counterbalance to China.
'Our challenges with India, they've always been a pretty closed market... there are a host of other kind of geopolitical issues,' the US official said.
'You've seen the president express concern about, you know, membership in BRICS, purchases of Russian oil and that kind of thing.'
While saying there were constructive discussions with India, the official added: 'These are complex relationships and complex issues, and so I don't think things can be resolved overnight with India.'
India has faced pressure from the West, including the US, to distance itself from Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. New Delhi resisted that pressure, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and its economic needs.
Trump has cast the BRICS group of developing nations — of which India is a key part — as hostile to the US Those nations have dismissed that accusation and the group says it promotes the interests of its members and of developing countries at large.
Trump has also drawn India's frustration by repeatedly taking credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire that he announced on social media on May 10. The ceasefire halted days of hostilities between the nuclear armed Asian neighbors.
India's position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their issues directly without outside involvement.
Trump has reached a trade deal with India's rival Pakistan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
8 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Trump fires US labor statistics chief after weak jobs report
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has dismissed Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), just hours after the release of weaker-than-expected jobs data that intensified concerns over his tariff policies. In a post on social media Friday, Trump accused McEntarfer of having 'RIGGED' the jobs figures 'to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.' The move — unprecedented in modern US politics — drew swift condemnation from lawmakers, economists and former government officials, who warned it risked undermining public trust in official economic data. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump 'a bad leader' who 'shoots the messenger' when confronted with unfavorable statistics. The BLS report showed that US employers added just 73,000 jobs in July, well below forecasts of 109,000. The agency also revised down employment growth in May and June by a combined 250,000 jobs, reinforcing signs of a slowing labor market amid uncertainty over Trump's trade tariffs. McEntarfer, appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2023 and confirmed by the Senate nearly unanimously, described her tenure as 'the honour of my life' and defended the agency's work as 'vital and important.' She had worked in government for more than two accused Trump of politicizing independent data collection. Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said, 'Firing the head of a key government agency because you don't like the numbers they report ... is what happens in authoritarian countries, not democratic ones.'Friends of BLS, a group including two former commissioners, warned that politicizing economic statistics could 'destroy public trust in all official statistics and in government science.'The Labor Department said Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski would serve as acting commissioner during the search for a defended the decision, telling reporters before departing the White House for his New Jersey golf club: 'Why should anybody trust numbers? I believe the numbers were phony ... so you know what I did? I fired her.'The move came as Trump pressed ahead with new tariffs on imports from multiple countries, raising rates on some goods to as high as 50%. Economists say the trade policy shift has unsettled markets and hurt business stock indexes closed sharply lower Friday following the jobs report and McEntarfer's dismissal. — BBC
Saudi Gazette
8 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Trump orders deployment of two US nuclear submarines after Medvedev warning
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be deployed 'to the appropriate regions' following what he called 'highly provocative statements' from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. In a social media post, Trump said the move was precautionary, adding, 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, Trump said, 'A threat was made by a former President of Russia (Medvedev), and we are going to protect our people.' Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, lashed out at Trump on Monday, warning that U.S. pressure on the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine risked escalating into a wider conflict between Washington and Moscow. On X, Medvedev wrote, '50 days or 10 ... He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!' He escalated his remarks in a separate Telegram post, invoking the Soviet-era 'Dead Hand' nuclear system — an automated launch mechanism designed to retaliate if the country's leadership were incapacitated. The system is widely believed to remain operational. — Agencies
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Ancient gems linked to the Buddha return to India
NEW DELHI: A collection of ancient gems linked to the Buddha's remains has been repatriated to India and will go on display to the public, after Delhi intervened in a planned Sotheby's auction of the relics. The Piprahwa Gems, named after the town in what is now the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, were taken by a British colonial engineer named William Claxton Peppe after he dug it in 1898. The collection of more than 300 delicate gems is more than 2,000 years old and was believed to have been found with the bodily relics of the Buddha in northern India, near the border with Nepal. It was originally scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby's in Hong Kong in May, but the sale was postponed following a threat of legal action by the Indian government, who demanded the return of the jewels. The gems were finally returned to their 'rightful home of India' on Wednesday, according to a statement by the Indian Culture Ministry. 'The return of the Piprahwa Gems is a matter of great pride for every Indian. This is one of the most significant instances of repatriation of our lost heritage,' Indian Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh said. In a legal notice to Sotheby's in May, the Indian Culture Ministry said the relics were 'inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India, and the global Buddhist community,' adding that their sale violates Indian and international laws, as well as UN conventions. The relics were repatriated to India through a 'public-private partnership' between the Indian government and the Mumbai-based Indian conglomerate, Godrej Industries Group, which reportedly acquired the jewels. 'We are deeply honored to contribute to this historic moment. The Piprahwa gems are not just artifacts — they are timeless symbols of peace, compassion and the shared heritage of humanity,' Pirojsha Godrej, executive vice chairperson of Godrej Industries Group, said in a statement. The collection will be 'formally unveiled during a special ceremony and placed on public display,' according to the Indian Culture Ministry. 'Through negotiation and intervention, the relics were successfully repatriated to India after 127 years,' Dr. Pranshu Samdarshi, a cultural historian and assistant professor at Nalanda University in Bihar, told Arab News. 'The relics reaffirm India's central place in the Buddhist world. This successful recovery adds to a growing list of repatriated artifacts, including over 600 illegally possessed antiquities retrieved from countries such as the US, France, Australia and New Zealand,' he said. 'The importance of the Piprahwa relics as a symbol of India's Buddhist legacy and its cultural diplomacy is uncontested.'
