U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday (July 31, 2025) said President Donald Trump and the whole trade negotiation team had been "frustrated" with India over the trade talks.
His comments came a day after Mr. Trump announced the imposition of a 25% tariff on all goods coming from India starting August 1, plus an unspecified penalty for buying Russian crude oil and military equipment.
Also read | Structural cracks emerge in the India-U.S. strategic partnership
“Well, I don't know what's going to happen. It will be up to India. India came to the table early. They've been slow rolling things. So I think that the President, the whole trade team, has been frustrated with them," Mr. Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
He also said India has been a large buyer of oil from Russia, which is facing sanctions, and reselling the crude as refined products. “So, they [India] have not been a great global actor,” he added.
