Washington: The outgoing US President Joe Biden administration has said he was leaving the India-US relationship in a very strong place, exuding confidence that during the incoming President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a similar bipartisan relationship will be maintained.
Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State, said the US administration is ambitious about the India-US relationship and anticipates a high level of engagement in the last few weeks of the Biden administration.
“We are quite confident that we’ll be handing the bilateral relationship off to the incoming Trump team at its strongest possible apex, with key support from stakeholders in the industry, in technology, finance, and defense. As we were here today, it was inspirational to see the manifestations of engagement between the United States and India in critical endeavors associated with space,” Campbell was quoted as saying in media reports.
Trump’s tariff threat to India
Meanwhile, the US President-elect has revealed his plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries, including India, that levy high duties on American goods.
“Reciprocal. If they tax us, we tax them the same amount. They tax us. We tax them. And they tax us. Almost in all cases, they're taxing us, and we haven't been taxing them,” media reports quoted Trump as saying. He stressed that fairness is key, noting that if India charges a 100 per cent tariff on US goods, the US will do the same in return.
The Indian government is reportedly conducting a sector-wise analysis of a possible hike in US tariffs after Trump’s threat to impose reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods. Various ministries and government departments are examining trade scenarios, considering such a move by the US and possible remedies, according to reports.
