Not Aimed at India: Marco Rubio on US Tariffs and Visa Curbs; Trade Deal 'Weeks Away'
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to reassure New Delhi that the tariff measures and visa restrictions introduced by the Donald Trump administration are not meant to "punish India" and are not "targeted" at any country.
Speaking to The Indian Express during a two-day visit to India, Rubio said the bilateral trade deal, which has been under negotiation for more than a year and a half, is close to completion. "I think we're incredibly close. The way I would say it is, we are weeks, not months, away from, I think, finalising it. I think 99 per cent of the work is done... I feel very positive of the trajectory that it's on," he said.
On tariffs, the Secretary of State acknowledged that Washington's threat to impose duties of up to 100 per cent on nations buying Russian energy could affect ties with New Delhi, but maintained the move was not intended to harm India. India has been among the largest buyers of Russian crude oil since 2022, a factor that has figured in US trade discussions.
Pointing to waivers announced by President Trump last week, Rubio said: "None of these tariffs are meant to punish or harm India. They are part of a broader foreign policy that, unfortunately, involves a war going on between Russia and Ukraine that we would like to see come to an end."
He added that the President had faced criticism at home for issuing the waivers instead of imposing the tariffs required under a law passed by the US Congress. "But one of the reasons why he didn't impose them is because he understands that it would have a very detrimental impact on a very important relationship with India," Rubio said.
Asked about the administration's immigration rhetoric, which has been read in India as antagonistic towards Indians, Rubio said the measures apply globally and are not directed at any single nation. "And this is not about India, this applies globally... We are trying to fix 20 years of neglect of an immigration system that was simply not being enforced, and that's not targeted at India," he said.
"I know that from your perspective here in India, it may seem targeted at India, (but) it's not. There is virtually no country on Earth that I visit where I don't get a complaint about some visa or process, because we are fixing it globally. Once it's fixed, it will be far more sustainable. I actually think it will be better for the people using those programmes and right and good for the United States," he added.
Rubio is on an official visit to India on October 20 and 21 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This is his second trip to the country, following an earlier visit to New Delhi in May. The two sides held detailed discussions across key strategic sectors, including trade, defence, technology and energy security.
