US delegations land in New Delhi to keep trade talks with India alive

Two US delegations arrived in New Delhi this week to restart damaged ties with India, according to Bloomberg, even as both sides admit a trade deal is not ready.

The goal is simple. Keep talks alive. Fix what broke after months of tension, though no official announcement is expected in the near future.

The first visit is led by Allison Hooker, the US under secretary of state for political affairs. She is in the capital from December 7 to 11 and is scheduled to meet Vikram Misri, India’s foreign secretary, and other senior officials.

When her trip ends, a second team takes over. It is led by Rick Switzer, the deputy US trade representative. He is joined by Brendan Lynch, the chief trade negotiator, with meetings set from December 9 to 11.

Officials familiar with the talks said no deal is expected now, but both sides want to keep communication open.

Trump’s vengeful tactic with India is failing

Pressure from the Trump administration has been high since August when President Donald Trump imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods.

Soon after, Trump sanctioned two of Russia’s largest oil producers, which forced Indian refiners to find new supply routes, crashing both energy markets and trade flows at the same time.

In November, Trump eased his tone and said the tariffs would be lowered “at some point,” but no timeline followed.

The US push came just days after Vladimir Putin made a high-profile trip to India last week. The visit focused on expanding economic ties and underlined Putin’s long relationship with Narendra Modi, even as pressure from Washington remains.

The timing of the US delegations and the Moscow visit placed India squarely between two rival powers again. Trade officials say Switzer and Brendan plan to advance talks on a broad trade agreement.

India’s commerce secretary recently said he expects the first tranche, which covers tariff rates, could be finished before the end of the year. India’s commerce and foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

Delhi and Washington keep military and security lines open

Even with trade friction, both countries continue to work together on defense and security. Officials in New Delhi confirmed the US and India held their annual military exercises in Alaska in September.

In August, both sides discussed security issues during the US-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue. Just last week, they also met through a joint counter-terrorism working group. These contacts continued while trade tensions stayed unresolved.

Analysts following the relationship say both governments are trying to stabilize ties after months of strain.

C. Raja Mohan, a visiting professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, said, “Both sides are trying to move beyond where the relationship was, and after tariffs were imposed, there have been sustained high-level negotiations between the two.”

He added that the engagement shows the two nations are trying to move past the “current bumps in the road.”

Ties with Washington also cooled after Trump claimed he helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during a four-day conflict in May and used trade pressure as leverage. New Delhi rejected the claim several times.

Despite all talks now underway, officials still say there is no clear outcome yet on the trade deal.

At the same time, Modi continues to deepen ties with Moscow. He said India and Russia are working toward a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

He also announced a free 30-day e‑tourist visa and a 30-day group tourist visa for Russian citizens. Modi added that Russia decided to adopt the framework to join the International Big Cat Alliance.

After the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, both leaders reaffirmed joint efforts against terrorism, extremism, organized crime, money laundering, terrorist financing, and drug trafficking.

Both presidents also condemned the attacks in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and at Crocus City Hall in Russia.

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