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Jaishankar on tariff: Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump keeps his foreign policy and business stance very publicly. He indicated that there was no formal discussion between the two countries before India announced the recent trump announcement on the purchase of Russian oil, in which the tariff was increased to 50 percent.

Jaishankar was addressing the Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2025. During this, he said that US President Trump’s way of running foreign policy is largely different from the traditional structure. He said, “We have not yet seen any US President who has conducted his foreign policy so public. This change is not only limited to India, but affects the entire international scenario.” He further said that Trump conducts not only globally, but also his domestic affairs in a very open manner, which is different from traditional American politics.

Trump’s strategy on tariff and business

Jaishankar admitted that using tariffs as weapons on both business and non-commercial issues is part of the new policy of Trump administration. He said that many times announcements are made public first and then there is a discussion with the parties concerned, which makes a challenging situation for the international community.

Three big issues – trade, oil and mediation

Jaishankar highlighted three important points to Indo-US relations. The first issue is about business talks. According to him, talks are still going on, but India’s priority is to protect the interests of its farmers and small producers.

The second issue is about oil. Jaishankar said that questions are raised about India about Russian oil purchases, but these arguments are not applied to China or European Union, even though they are some big importers. He clarified that there was several conversation on this subject with the Biden administration, after which the price limit was fixed.

The third issue was to Pakistan. The Foreign Minister made it clear that India does not accept any external arbitration in its bilateral relationships.

It is clear from this statement of Jaishankar that India is trying to take a balanced stance to protect its interests, understanding the new foreign policy style of America.