Goyal Reassures Industry Amid Tariff Negotiations

India will prioritize its national interests while negotiating trade pacts with the US and other countries, commerce minister Piyush Goyal assured businesses on Tuesday, even as a top US trade official ruled out near-term exemptions from President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs—some of which come into effect on Wednesday, and have already caused havoc on financial markets.

- HTC & Agencies

MUMBAI/WASHINGTON:

"India First is our mantra, is our guiding principle," Goyal told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai, offering reassurance amid ongoing negotiations with the US following the imposition of 26% additional tariffs on Indian exports, which come into effect on April 9. While declining to divulge specific details of the talks, Goyal projected confidence about the trajectory of the negotiations. "They continue to go on very smoothly in a positive direction and all is well," he said, adding that discussions cover "a very wide array of subjects, a very wide array of products."