We have certain red lines: Jaishankar on trade deal with US

SAYS NEGOTIATIONS STILL ON

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

Flags 3 main issues in ties with US

NEW DELHI: There are some "red lines" in the India-US trade deal negotiations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said amid tense ties with the US over several aspects in bilateral trade where India has refused to yield any concession to President Donald Trump.

The minister explained that these "red lines" are aspects on which the government is not ready to compromise.

"Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and, to some extent, of our small producers. We, as a government, are committed to defending the interests of our farmers and our small producers. We are very determined on that. That's not something that we can compromise on," Jaishankar added.

Some of the US demands that clearly crossed the "red line" for the Indian government were related to sectors that form the basis of the country's rural economy.

Jaishankar flagged trade and tariffs, procurement of Russian crude oil and Washington's assertion on the conflict as the three main issues India has with the US at present.

Jaishankar assured that the negotiations are still underway and that there is no permanent fallout. "Negotiations are still going on. The bottom line is we have some red lines. Negotiations are still going on in the sense that nobody said the negotiations are off. People do talk to each other."

The US has been pressing India to open its markets to American dairy, poultry, and agricultural products like corn, soybeans, wheat, ethanol, fruits, and nuts. But India, an agrarian economy, has held back on providing access to its markets for corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy products.