• India's trade talks with the U.S. are ongoing despite impending tariffs of up to 50%.
• Negotiations face challenges over agricultural sector openings and Russian oil purchases.
• India's Foreign Minister emphasizes defending national interests in trade discussions.

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirmed that trade negotiations with the United States are still ongoing, despite the impending enforcement of hefty additional tariffs. These tariffs, reaching up to 50%, are among the highest imposed by Washington and are in response to India's increased purchases of Russian oil. A 25% tariff has already been implemented, with another 25% due to take effect on August 27, according to Reuters and Dawn.

The planned visit by U.S. trade negotiators to India from August 25-29 has been called off, raising concerns that these tariffs may not be postponed or reduced. Jaishankar highlighted the necessity for India to defend its "red lines" in negotiations, particularly regarding the interests of farmers and small producers. Trade discussions had previously stalled over issues surrounding access to India's agricultural and dairy markets, which remains a contentious point, according to TRT World and Channel News Asia.

Analysts at Capital Economics have warned that if the full U.S. tariffs take effect, India's GDP growth could be reduced by 0.8 percentage points in both 2025 and 2026. The firm also indicated that prolonged high tariffs could undermine India's appeal as a global manufacturing hub. Jaishankar characterized recent U.S. trade policy as unprecedented, stating, "We have not had a U.S. president who conducts his foreign policy so publicly as the current one," highlighting the unique nature of current diplomatic relations, according to Reuters and TRT World.

Jaishankar also defended India's energy imports from Russia, responding to U.S. criticism by pointing out that several other nations engage in substantial trade with Russia, such as China and the European Union. He asserted that these concerns had not previously been raised in prior trade discussions, indicating that the context of these tariffs may reflect broader political dynamics, according to Dawn and Channel News Asia.