US Congress has pursued strategic convergence with India by not allowing trade disagreements to get in the way. But Trump’s uncompromising approach on every issue is jeopardising this long-term goal
India-US trade negotiations have resumed, but beneath the hopeful rhetoric from leaders, frictions remain — mainly on tariffs, market access, and India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. In contrast, US Congress has treated trade disagreements and strategic convergence as distinct issues. This siloed approach ensures that trade disagreements on labour, pharmaceuticals, tariffs, etc, do not prevent strategic convergence in areas like defence manufacturing, civil-nuclear cooperation, and critical technologies. But the Trump administration’s decisions, such as revocation of the Chabahar sanctions waiver, and high tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, raise questions about the reliability of US as a strategic partner.