Rubio Says U.S. and India Are Close to Trade Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on October 19 that the United States was very close to finalizing a trade agreement with India, with a small number of items still to resolve. He did not give a signing date, and the agreement remains unsigned. Rubio made the remarks to reporters in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, while discussing U.S. decisions on national-security waivers related to Russian energy. He said trade negotiations were one consideration, alongside energy supplies, fuel prices and countries’ access to alternative sources. His comments did not establish that trade talks prompted a specific waiver for India. A White House order issued October 16 suspended a potential additional 100% duty on goods from countries among the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. The duty would otherwise apply to certain new purchases made on or after October 18. The order does not mention India or trade negotiations, has no fixed end date and can be revisited. India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the agreement’s initial portion had been settled and was undergoing legal drafting. He said India wanted a competitive advantage over peer countries....