'High Non-Tariff Barriers': Trump Aide Targets India Ahead Of Trade Deal Talks
"...we know that on the trade side, they (India) have the highest tariffs of any major country. They have very high non-tariff barriers," Navarro said.
White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has kept his criticism against India sharp, even as President Donald Trump has struck a conciliatory tone in recent days.
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Navarro said talks on a stalled trade deal were progressing but marked apprehensions over India's "steep" tariffs.
"India is coming to the table. Prime Minister Modi sent out a very conciliatory, nice, constructive tweet and President Trump responded to that. But as a practical matter, we know that on the trade side, they have the highest tariffs of any major country. They have very high non-tariff barriers," Navarro remarked.
Notably, India and the US are set to resume their trade deal negotiations on Tuesday. This comes days after Trump acknowledged the strength of Indo-US relations and the personal rapport he shares with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi, in turn, had also reciprocated the sentiment.
Just last week, Trump had expressed optimism about a deal, saying he would soon speak to his "very good friend" Modi. Responding on X, Modi said the ongoing negotiations could unlock the "limitless potential" of the partnership, calling India and the US "close friends and natural partners."
Navarro, however, broadened his criticism to India's oil trade with Russia. He argued Indian refiners were profiting by buying discounted Russian crude, indirectly financing Moscow's war in Ukraine. "They made money off of us in unfair trade. Then they use that money to buy Russian oil, and then the Russians use that to buy weapons, and then we as taxpayers have to pay more for the defence of Ukraine," Navarro said.
Navarro has previously branded India the "maharaja of tariffs" and accused it of fueling Russia's war machine.
Meanwhile, Sergio Gor, Trump's nominee for US Ambassador to India, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week that a tariff resolution may be only "weeks away", noting both sides are now discussing the "nitty-gritty" of the deal.
Trump has already doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, including a 25% duty tied to India's Russian oil imports. New Delhi has dismissed the move as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable."
