Rubio heads to India for second visit to break trade deadlock

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Tuesday for his second official visit this year, aiming to break a months-long deadlock in trade negotiations that have stalled since a US Supreme Court ruling struck down President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. Rubio traveled to Mumbai following a stop in Uzbekistan, where he urged stronger partnerships with Central Asian nations in Samarkand on Monday. He is scheduled to hold talks with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and meet business leaders in the financial capital, before traveling to Jamnagar in the western state of Gujarat — a port city and stronghold of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance conglomerate, which operates the world's largest refinery there.

The secretary is also expected to lay a wreath honoring the 166 victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, according to the itinerary. No meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been scheduled for this visit, unlike Rubio's May trip when he toured the Taj Mahal and met the Indian leader in New Delhi and Kolkata.

Trade negotiations hit 'plateau'

The visit comes as the two countries attempt to salvage an interim trade agreement reached in February aimed at reducing US tariffs on Indian goods, which was thrown into uncertainty days later when the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariff regime. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said earlier this month that negotiations have reached "a plateau, beyond which giving or taking might be very, very difficult." Speaking in Samarkand on Monday, Rubio maintained that Washington and New Delhi were "very close" to finalizing a deal, though observers consider the prospects of securing an agreement during this trip slim.

Russian oil and regional tensions

Friction over India's imports of Russian oil and warming ties between Washington and Islamabad — New Delhi's arch-rival — have complicated the diplomatic landscape, alongside Trump's tariff war launched in April last year. Asked about temporary US sanctions waivers for Russian oil purchases, Rubio said Washington must balance multiple factors "including our bilateral relationships with other countries and what they realistically are capable of being able to do in terms of their own energy supplies." "You also can't unravel the economy of other countries because of one central issue," he added.

The two sides have continued negotiations since the February interim deal and the subsequent court ruling, with Rubio's visit marking the highest-level US engagement since the talks stalled. US officials have not specified a timeline for concluding the agreement, citing the complex economic and geopolitical factors at play.