Indian Envoy Meets US Lawmakers Amid Trade Tensions Over New Tariffs
Indian envoy Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday met with prominent US lawmakers amid a strain in relations between Washington and New Delhi after President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
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The diplomatic engagements occur during strained US-India relations following Trump's implementation of 50 percent tariffs.
Washington:
Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra engaged with prominent US lawmakers on Thursday amid deteriorating relations between Washington and New Delhi following President Donald Trump's imposition of 50 percent tariffs on Indian products. Kwatra met with Representative Darrell Issa, who chairs the House Judiciary GOP Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, AI and the Internet, to discuss critical aspects of US-India relations, "including our partnership in energy security and mutually beneficial trade engagement".
In a social media statement, Kwatra expressed gratitude for Issa's consistent support of India-US relations in his capacity as Vice-Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority.
The Indian ambassador also participated in an "engaging conversation" with Representative Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Democrats.
During this meeting, Kwatra presented India's perspectives on enhancing mutual cooperation in trade, energy and defense between the two nations.
In a separate discussion with Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair of the India Caucus in the US Senate, the ambassador addressed matters of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of bilateral trade relations.
"We also discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation further in hydrocarbons, particularly between Texas and India," Kwatra shared on X.
On Wednesday, the Indian diplomat met with Congressman Andy Barr, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy of the Financial Services GOP, to explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral trade and investment partnerships.
Kwatra also thanked him for his leadership and ongoing support for the relationship as Vice-Co-Chair of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives.
In recent days, the Indian ambassador has conducted meetings with US Congressmen Warren Davidson, Marc Veasey, and Michael Baumgartner.
This series of diplomatic engagements comes amid tensions between the US and India following Trump's implementation of 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, which includes a 25 percent penalty for New Delhi's purchases of Russian crude oil.
India has described these tariffs as "unjustified and unreasonable".
The nation has stated that, like any major economy, it will implement all necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security.