- US will have to "fix" a bunch of countries, including India, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said
- He said India needed to "react correctly" to the US by opening their markets
- US imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports due to trade and Russian oil purchases
The United States will have to "fix" a bunch of countries, including India, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said. Speaking about ongoing trade challenges, Lutnick said countries like India and Brazil had "an issue" and they needed to "react correctly" to the US by opening their markets and avoiding policies that harm American interests.
"We have a bunch of countries to fix like Switzerland, Brazil, right? It's got an issue. India, these are countries that need to really react correctly to America. Open their markets, stop taking actions that harm America, and that's why we're offside with them," he said in an interview with Newsnation.
He pointed out that even a small country like Switzerland runs a $40 billion trade deficit with the US. While some might describe Switzerland as a "small rich country," Lutnick argued that its wealth is partly because it sells $40 billion more in goods to the US than it buys.
Such trade imbalances need to be addressed, he said. "And those, I think, will be sorted out, but they take time," he added.
On the administration's negotiating style, Lutnick said, "The way that President Trump does deals, the first deal is always the best deal. And then the next deal is higher, the next deal is higher, the next deal's higher."
US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports. The measures began with a 25 per cent "reciprocal" tariff on Indian goods in early August, followed by another 25 per cent penalty due to India's continued purchase of Russian oil. These tariffs affected key sectors such as garments, gems and jewelry, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, and chemicals, straining US-India trade relations.
Brazil also faces a 50 per cent tariff from the US.
"These countries (India, Brazil) have to understand that if you want to sell to the US consumer, right? You've got to play ball with the president of the United States," Lutnick said.
Lutnick said that several trade negotiations remain open. "You still have Taiwan. That's a big one that's coming pretty soon. I expect to really be talking to them and sorting that out. So a bunch of countries left, but the big ones India and Brazil...we'll sort it out over time."
India and the United States have resumed trade talks. A delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington from September 22-24 to meet US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer and US Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor to discuss the contours of a potential agreement.
