US President Donald Trump’s aide and US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, on Friday predicted that India would eventually yield to the US over the proposed 50% tariffs, suggesting that business losses would compel New Delhi to strike a deal with Washington.
He said India “will say sorry to us” and come to the table, adding that it would then be up to President Trump to decide “how to deal with India.”
In a TV interview, when asked about Trump’s social media post that appeared to dismiss India as a US partner after the SCO summit in Tianjin, Lutnick remarked, “In a month or two, India will come to the table and apologise.”
He further said, “They’ll try to cut a deal with Donald Trump, and it will be up to him to decide how to handle Modi. We leave that to him, as he is the president.”
Citing Canada as an example, Lutnick recalled how Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had responded to an economic slowdown by removing retaliatory tariffs on the US.
“It’s all bravado. Carney took a firm stance—‘it’s a fight with America.’ They imposed retaliatory tariffs, which caused their GDP to fall. Eventually, their GDP declined, and Carney removed the tariffs. While it may feel good to take on the world’s biggest client, businesses will ultimately push to make a deal with America,” he said.
Lutnick also warned India to “stop buying Russian oil, leave BRICS, and support the United States and the dollar—or face a 50% tariff.”
He argued that India and China would struggle to trade with each other and would eventually have to turn to the US, saying, “It’s our $30 trillion economy that drives global consumption… and ultimately, the customer is always right.”
Describing India as “the vowel between Russia and China in BRICS,” he added, “If that’s the role you want to play, go ahead … let’s see how long it lasts.”