No discussion on trade, tariff with US, says India on Trump team's ceasefire claim with Pakistan

Reiterating that the issues of trade and tariffs were not part of the discussion with the United States during Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that the cessation of firing was decided upon through direct contacts between the DGMOs (Director General of Military Operations) of India and Pakistan.

"India's opposition to this particular issue is well articulated... From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the time of cessation on May 10, there was conversation between India and the US on the evolving military situation. The issue of tariffs never came up during the discussion," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The statement comes as the Trump administration has told a New York court that India and Pakistan reached a “tenuous ceasefire” only after President Donald Trump "interceded and offered both nations trading access with the US to avert a full-scale war.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made the remarks in a submission to the Court of International Trade last week, arguing that Trump used his emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs aimed at protecting US national security and economy.

Lutnick said that the maintenance of tariffs is crucial to the president’s ability to conduct real-world diplomacy.

This ceasefire was only achieved after President Trump interceded and offered both nations trading access with the United States to avert a full-scale war," Lutnick claimed in the submission.

“An adverse ruling that constrains presidential power in this case could lead India and Pakistan to question the validity of President Trump's offer, threatening the security of an entire region, and the lives of millions,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan and that he told the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours that America would do a “lot of trade” with them if they stopped the conflict.

About two weeks after the horrific April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians - mostly tourists, India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

With PTI inputs