Jaishankar And Marco Rubio Hail India–US Trade Pact, Discuss Critical Minerals Cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, during which both leaders welcomed the recently announced India–US trade agreement and explored ways to deepen cooperation in the critical minerals sector. The meeting took place at the US State Department ahead of the first critical minerals ministerial meeting hosted by the United States.

According to Jaishankar, the discussions covered a broad bilateral agenda along with key regional and global developments. He said the talks focused on strengthening the India–US strategic partnership across areas such as trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defence, technology and critical minerals. Both sides agreed on the need for early meetings of various institutional mechanisms to advance shared priorities.

A summary issued by the US State Department noted that Rubio and Jaishankar expressed satisfaction over the trade agreement reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. The leaders also emphasised the importance of the two democracies working closely to unlock new economic opportunities and enhance shared energy security objectives.

The statement further highlighted their commitment to expanding cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels, including through the Quad, and underscored the significance of a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region for advancing common interests.

The India–US trade deal was announced after a phone conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on Monday, following nearly a year of intense negotiations. Under the agreement, tariffs on Indian goods entering the US have been reduced to 18%, replacing the earlier reciprocal rate of 25%.

President Trump said the agreement goes beyond tariff relief, stating that India will cut tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US goods and commit to large-scale purchases of American energy, technology, agricultural products and other items. At the same time, the deal reportedly excludes Indian dairy and certain sensitive agricultural sectors, while offering zero-duty access to a significant volume of Indian exports and reduced duties on labour-intensive products such as textiles, leather goods and marine products.