Overview

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said negotiators have yet to find a landing ground after multiple rounds since March, with the latest talks concluding at the end of September.
• He called the additional 25% U.S. tariff tied to India’s Russian oil purchases unfair, which sits atop a 25% reciprocal tariff announced in August.
• Engagement has resumed following a recent Modi–Trump phone call, but neither side has announced a first tranche agreement or any tariff rollback.
• Market access for U.S. agriculture and dairy remains a core sticking point, with New Delhi refusing concessions that would harm farmers and rural livelihoods.
• Jaishankar emphasized that broader India–U.S. cooperation largely continues as business as usual, with some areas even expanding despite the tariff dispute.