Rubio says U.S. is very close to India trade deal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was “very close” to finalizing a trade deal with India, while describing energy needs and global market effects as factors in U.S. decisions on sanctions waivers. His remarks did not establish that the agreement had been completed or that a waiver for India had been granted because of trade negotiations. Rubio said the United States was trying to finalize the deal and that progress on it was among the considerations in presidential decisions about national-security waivers. He also said officials weigh countries’ energy requirements, access to alternative supplies and the potential effects of sanctions on global supply and prices. The comments come amid differences between Washington and New Delhi over India’s purchases of Russian oil. Rubio said sanctions policy must account for the practical difficulty some countries face in securing energy from other sources, as well as broader economic effects. He described those considerations as part of foreign-policy decisions, not an excuse. India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the trade agreement’s first tranche had been finalized and was undergoing legal...