‘India will say sorry and make a deal’: US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick

Source: The Times of India | Original Published At: 2025-09-05 15:35:00 UTC

Key Points

• US expects India to apologize and negotiate trade terms similar to Canada's approach
• Threat of 50% tariffs if India continues Russian oil purchases and BRICS participation
• US positions itself as indispensable consumer market for global economies
• Criticism of India's strategic alignment with Russia and China within BRICS

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick anticipates India will apologize and negotiate with President Trump, drawing parallels to Canada’s trade concessions. He cautioned India to cease purchasing Russian oil, withdraw from BRICS, and support the US, or face substantial tariffs. Lutnick emphasized the US’s economic dominance and its role as a primary consumer market.

The TOI correspondent from Washington: Taking a cue from MAGA Supremo Donald Trump’s stubborn stance on tariffs, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday signaled a hardening of US position on tariffs saying he expected India to say “sorry” and make a deal with the President after its businesses realize they cannot thrive without the US market. Asked in a tv interview about Trump’s social media post that virtually jettisoned India as a US partner following the SCO summit in Tianjin, Lutnick likened India’s position to that of Canada, which he said had backed down from its adversarial “elbows up” stance to make a deal after realizing its economy was tanking. “In a month or two months, I think India is going to be at the table, and they’re gonna say they’re sorry, and they’re going to try to make a deal with Donald Trump and it will be on Donald Trump’s desk how he wants to deal with Modi, and we leave that to him. That’s why he’s the president,” Lutnick said suggesting New Delhi’s position was all bravado. Lutnick also warned India to “Stop buying Russian oil, stop being a part of BRICS, and support the United States and the dollar or face a 50% tariff.” Contending that India and China will not be able to sell goods to each other, he maintained that they will eventually have to come to the US because “it’s our $30 trillion economy that is the consumer of the world… (and) we all know eventually the customer is always right.” Characterizing India as “the vowel between Russia and China” (in BRICS), Lutnick said “If that’s who you want to be, go, be it… ….and let’s see how long this lasts.”