Top US Economic Adviser Says Trump Won’t Concede if India Doesn’t Compromise
US Economic Adviser Warns Trump Won’t Back Down if India Holds Firm
Kevin Hassett, Director of the US National Economic Council, has criticised what he calls “Indian intransigence” over market access for American goods, cautioning that President Trump will maintain a hard line if India refuses to compromise.
Speaking to local media on Wednesday, Hassett emphasised that the US will continue enforcing punitive 50 percent tariffs on Indian products, a measure aimed at pressuring New Delhi over its continued purchase of Russian oil, which Washington says is funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“If the Indians don’t budge, I don’t think President Trump will,” Hassett said, describing trade negotiations with India as “complicated.” He noted the discussions are intertwined with broader efforts to exert pressure on Russia in pursuit of a peace deal.
Hassett acknowledged there would be “ebbs and flows” in negotiations before reaching a final outcome but reiterated the administration’s stance that India must open its markets to US goods.
The tariffs, imposed on all Indian-origin products, form part of a broader strategy to influence India’s energy and defence ties with Russia, while signalling that countries supporting Moscow could face severe economic consequences if peace with Ukraine is not achieved.
