The framework for an Interim Agreement between India and the United States after the recent announcement of the trade deal has opened the door to new possibilities, according to Raymond Vickery, a former US Assistant Secretary of Commerce. He said New Delhi has emerged as one of the select partners engaging Washington in a “logical and deliberate” manner.
In an interview with ANI, Raymond Vickery said that India has outperformed many of its peers by adhering to a clear negotiating framework, rather than being drawn into the unpredictability of President Donald Trump's approach to trade.
“The standard way is to work out details first, which takes more than a year, and then, when those details are worked out, to have a joint statement saying this is the agreement. This is not the Trump style. The style is to announce something which may or may not be reality and then to try to cram into the framework, which has been a set of standards to bring about a real agreement,” he told ANI.
The ex-US official outlined that the emphasis has been on patience and precision, rather than rushed decisions, as both sides work through technical trade challenges.
According to Vickery, the timeframe attached to the interim trade framework stands out as atypical when set against the way large economies generally wrap up trade agreements.
“So, regarding timeline, this is an unusual way to approach it. India has done better than most other nations in trying to have a logical and deliberate process rather than succumb to the chaos, which President Trump favours to be able to have transactions in which he can claim victory,” he underlined.
He noted that New Delhi is already indicating that it hopes to move towards a fuller agreement within the next few months, a timeframe that aligns more closely with the normal rhythm of trade negotiations.
Vickery cautioned that deals announced on social media or imposed through executive orders lack the durability of formally negotiated agreements.
“It's one thing to go on social media and say something. It's quite another to have an agreement which is operationally sufficient and lasts beyond an immediate transaction,” he said.
Turning to energy relations, Vickery said coordination between India and the United States on Russian oil continues to be a key issue because of its connection to the war in Ukraine. His comments followed the White House's decision to roll back an extra 25% tariff on India after New Delhi pledged to halt Russian oil imports.
“President Trump said that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil. Well, the relationship between Russia and India is not one that is going to be discarded overnight… Nevertheless, there is a great need for these two great democracies, the US and India, to be able to cooperate on Russian oil, which, of course, is key to what happens about the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he added.
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