India Hires 2nd Lobbying Firm In US Before Trump's Russian Oil Tariff Kicks In
Days before US President Donald Trump's punitive 50 per cent tariffs take effect on Indian exports, India's embassy in Washington has reportedly hired a second lobbying firm with close ties to the Trump administration.
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Mercury maintains connections with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Washington:
With US President Donald Trump's 50 percent punitive tariffs set to take effect soon on Indian exports, India's embassy in Washington has reportedly engaged a second lobbying firm with strong ties to the Trump administration. According to Politico, citing Justice Department filings, the embassy has retained former Senator David Vitter of Mercury Public Affairs to assist with "federal government relations" and other services.
No official statement has been released yet by either the External Affairs Ministry or Mercury regarding this arrangement. However, the August 18 filing reveals that the embassy will pay Mercury Public Affairs LLC $75,000 monthly under a contract spanning from mid-August to mid-November, totaling $225,000.
This amount is significantly less than the $1.8 million New Delhi has already committed to former Trump adviser Jason Miller's SHW Partners LLC.
According to a Bloomberg report, Mercury Partner Bryan Lanza, who previously worked as communications director for President Donald Trump's transition team, was named among those handling the account.
Trump TariffsThis hiring occurs as US-India relations have deteriorated rapidly since Trump imposed a 25 percent secondary tariff on Indian goods as punishment for New Delhi's continued Russian oil purchases during the Ukraine invasion. India, currently subject to a 25 percent reciprocal tariff, has until Wednesday to persuade Team Trump against implementing additional duties.
Last week, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro indicated he expects the additional 25 percent tariff will be implemented as scheduled.
"I see that taking place," Navarro stated, adding, "India doesn't appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed. It simply doesn't."
About Mercury Mercury maintains connections with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was registered as a lobbyist with the firm until November 2024 when she joined the White House.
Mercury also represents the governments of South Korea, Ecuador, Libya, and Japan as a lobbying firm.
Since Trump's return to the White House in January, at least 30 countries worldwide have hired new lobbyists with connections to him.