Supply Lines

US, India Trade Deal Eases Months of Tense Talks Over Oil, Tariffs

After a call between Trump and Modi, both sides announced a pact but left many experts guessing on key details
Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, during a news conference in New Delhi on Jan. 27, 2026. Photographer: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg
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In Donald Trump’s world of rushed dealmaking, patience was India’s strategy during its trade talks with the US president.

Back in April, when the second-term Trump administration advertised they were gunning for 90 deals in 90 days, Indian negotiators said they refused to be swayed “with gun to head.”