US commerce secretary, India minister discuss trade days after Trump’s tariffs are struck down

NEW DELHI, Feb 26 (Reuters) – India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal discussed trade and economic partnership with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over lunch in New Delhi on Thursday, Goyal said in a post on X, days after President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs were invalidated. 

Earlier this week, Goyal said two-way trade talks would resume once there was more clarity, signaling India’s intent to pursue a deal with Washington despite Trump’s weakened legal authority on tariffs.

“A highly productive lunch … so many areas of cooperation for our two nations!”, the U.S. envoy to India Sergio Gor said in a separate post on X, with a picture of himself with Lutnick and Goyal.

Lutnick is on a personal visit to India, an Indian trade ministry official said.

Since the Supreme Court order, Trump has announced a temporary 10% duty on all nations, including India, and promised to raise it to 15% – the maximum allowed under the statute he has resorted to.

Prior to the ruling, both countries had agreed on a framework for Washington to cut tariffs on India to 18% from 50% – a rate that previously included a 25% punitive tariff for New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases.

(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Manoj Kumar and Shivangi Acharya; Editing by YP Rajesh)