As India enters a testing period ignited by higher US tariffs, Congress MP and veteran diplomat Shashi Tharoor has called for the country to back its trade negotiators.
While asserting that national interests had to be defended at all costs, Tharoor also indicated an openness to compromise. What was needed was a balanced, strategic approach.
While launching his book 'Our Living Constitution', Tharoor spoke about the issue, stating, "We have to maintain an export market in America. But we should also be negotiating with other nations and regions where we are exporting." The ex-UN Under-Secretary-General emphasized keeping trade with the US while exploring alternate markets to cushion the blow.
Tharoor referenced continued trade talks with the European Union and Japan, as well as the deal with the United Kingdom, and proposed that these could assist in offsetting a loss in the American market.
We cannot lose everything. We must keep some things. In my view, this is the job for which we must back our negotiators to deliver a good outcome," he said, stressing the urgency of defending India's economic footprint in the US.
When asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Centre’s handling of trade relations with the US, Tharoor opted not to comment, instead focusing on the broader implications of Indo-US ties. “My concern is that this relationship with the US, as a strategic partnership and as an economic relationship, is important for us,” he said.
Tharoor highlighted the importance of the US market, adding that "We are shipping something like $90 billion worth of goods to America. We can't, therefore, be in a position where we are going to lose that." He rejected suggestions that downplay the importance of the US market by GDP percentage, observing that, as far as the volume of exports is concerned, the US remains a significant trade partner.
Reiterating his solidarity with Indian negotiators, Tharoor said, "We must wish our negotiators strength and courage in working out a fair deal for India… in negotiation, you give some, you take some. There's got to be some flexibility we need to show." But he was also categorical that "some questions of national interest cannot cross."
This is in the aftermath of a recent decision by Donald Trump, who imposed a 25% tit-for-tat tariff on Indian exports, along with the possibility of a penalty for India's continued import of Russian oil.
Responding to the economic winds, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday assured that the Indian economy is still strong. Requesting people to give top priority to local products, he emphasized the need to remain vigilant about the economic priorities of the nation. "The government is doing its best in the interest of the country," Modi asserted.
In the meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a press release on Friday, reaffirmed the abiding solidity of India-US relations as one comprehensive strategic partnership based on shared values, mutual interest, and robust people-to-people contacts—a relationship that has endured many tests over the years.
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