Overview

• External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in New York on the UN General Assembly sidelines in their first face-to-face since the US raised tariffs on Indian goods.
• A State Department readout said India is of “critical importance” to the United States and noted continued cooperation on trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals, including work through the Quad.
• The 50% US tariff burden on Indian imports remains in place after two 25% steps, with part of the levy tied to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
• President Donald Trump’s order set a $100,000 fee for new H‑1B applications, and the White House clarified it is a one‑time petition charge that does not apply to existing visa holders.
• Commerce minister Piyush Goyal met US trade representative Jamieson Greer to advance a bilateral trade agreement, with recent talks described as positive but no immediate resolution announced.