Overview

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in New Delhi and said they discussed the potential of India–U.S. economic ties, sharing photos of the meeting on X.
• U.S. tariffs of 50% on Indian imports, including a 25% levy tied to purchases of Russian crude, took effect on August 27 after President Donald Trump accused India of helping fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
• Nirmala Sitharaman said India will keep buying Russian oil based on national interest, citing pricing and logistics considerations and oil’s dominant share of the import bill.
• Negotiations on a Bilateral Trade Agreement that began in March have stalled, with U.S. access to India’s agricultural and dairy markets a key sticking point and a late‑August U.S. delegation visit postponed.
• Trump has warned of possible ‘Phase‑2’ and ‘Phase‑3’ tariff measures even as he called ties with India “very special,” a sentiment Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly welcomed; Reynolds’ role highlights U.S. farm interests central to the talks.