Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday and mentioned a spread of bilateral and worldwide problems with “present concern”.
The assembly at Lotte New York Palace on the sidelines of the eightieth session of the UN Normal Meeting is the primary face-to-face interplay between them following President Donald Trump’s imposition of an extra 25 per cent tariff on India for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, taking the full levies imposed on India to 50 per cent.
“Secretary Rubio, reiterating that India is a relationship of crucial significance to the US, expressed his appreciation for the Indian authorities’s continued engagement on plenty of points together with commerce, protection, vitality, prescription drugs, crucial minerals, and different gadgets associated to the bilateral relationship,” Rubio was quoted as saying in a press release by US Division of State.
The 2 leaders had final met in July in Washington DC for the Quad International Ministers’ Assembly. Their assembly takes place on the identical day India and the US will maintain discussions to realize an early conclusion of a commerce settlement.
H-1B visa payment hike of $100,000
Jaishankar’s assembly with Rubio additionally got here days after Donald Trump administration’s determination to boost H-1B visa charges.
Trump’s shock H-1B visa payment hike of $100,000 (~ ₹90 lakh) triggered a wave of panic – leaving tech giants together with Meta, Microsoft on the edge. On September 20, White Home clarified that the $100,000 payment will not be a annual cost and will not apply to current holders of legitimate visas re-entering the nation
“That is NOT an annual payment. It’s a one-time payment that applies solely to the petition.” And, goes on so as to add that present H-1B visa holders who’re at the moment outdoors of the nation proper now won’t be charged $100,000 to re-enter the US,” White Home spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated.
Jaishankar, who arrived in New York on Sunday for the high-level UNGA week, will maintain a sequence of bilateral and multilateral conferences on the sidelines of the session and can ship the nationwide assertion on the Normal Debate on September 27 from the enduring inexperienced UNGA podium.
Goyal meets Greer in NYC
The EAM assembly with US Secretary of state coincided with a delegation led by Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal assembly with the US facet. Goyal met United States commerce consultant Jamieson Greer met in New York on Monday in an effort to speed up commerce talks between the 2 nations.
This was the third assembly between Goyal and Greer this 12 months, following earlier talks in March and Might. The 2 leaders had been eager to construct on the momentum established by the current constructive interactions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, Hindustan Occasions reported from Washington DC.
“The delegation plans to take ahead the discussions with a view to reaching early conclusion of a mutually useful Commerce Settlement,” the Ministry of Commerce and Business had stated in a press release.
The assertion added that over the past go to of officers from the workplace of the US Commerce Consultant to India on September 16, constructive discussions had been held on varied features of the commerce deal, and it was determined to accentuate efforts on this regard.
Outreach between the 2 nations
The visits by two high ministers within the Narendra Modi cupboard marks a major outreach between the 2 nations which have historically been companions however have lately suffered a downturn in ties amid an escalation in criticism by Trump administration officers over India’s purchases of Russian oil.
The talks, which had been halted for a while, resumed after Donald Trump introduced that his group was persevering with commerce negotiations with India.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump stated he was optimistic about concluding a commerce settlement with India. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the commerce negotiations would pave the best way for “unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership”
Modi-Trump Communicate
The go to by the ministers comes after the daylong discussions in New Delhi between US Chief Negotiator Brendan Lynch and his Indian counterpart Rajesh Agrawal on the proposed bilateral commerce settlement on September 16. The identical day, President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on cellphone to want him on his seventy fifth birthday the following day. PM Modi responded by saying he was “absolutely dedicated” to taking the Indo-US partnership to “new heights”.
In February, leaders of the 2 nations directed officers to barter a proposed Bilateral Commerce Settlement (BTA).
It was deliberate to conclude the primary tranche of the pact by the autumn (October-November) of 2025. Up to now, 5 rounds of negotiations have been held. The pact is geared toward greater than doubling the bilateral commerce to USD 500 billion by 2030 from the present USD 191 billion.
‘Decision to the tariff stand-off quickly’
India’s chief financial adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran struck an optimistic notice on 18 September saying he anticipated a decision to the tariff stand-off with the US inside the subsequent two months, whilst he projected regular momentum in India’s home financial system.
Talking at an trade gathering in Kolkata, Nageswaran stated he believed Washington would quickly roll again the extra 25% tariff imposed on New Delhi for getting Russian oil.
Goyal visited Washington earlier in Might for the commerce talks. He held deliberations with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington.
India-US bilateral commerce
India is a relationship of crucial significance to the US.
The US stays India’s largest buying and selling accomplice for the fourth consecutive 12 months in 2024-25, with bilateral commerce valued at $131.84 billion ($86.5 billion exports).
The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India’s whole items exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent within the nation’s whole merchandise commerce.
