Days after adverse court ruling, Lutnick in Delhi for trade talks

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 26, 2026 08:14 PM IST

Six days after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi Thursday to discuss trade ties.

“Engaged in very fruitful discussions to expand our trade and economic partnership,” Goyal said in a post on social media platform X. Gor too said Lutnik and Goyal had a “highly productive lunch” and there were many areas of cooperation between India and the US.

Lutnik’s surprise visit came days after an Indian trade delegation, which was expected to reach Washington DC on February 22 to begin three-day talks to finalise the legal agreement, deferred its visit in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorise the President to impose tariffs.

On February 21, Trump announced a blanket 15 per cent levy for 150 days on goods imported into the US from around the world – India now faces a tariff rate of 15 per cent, down from 18 per cent.

Before the court ruling, India and the US had planned to sign the trade deal in March, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was expected to visit India.

The ruling appeared to have changed the dynamics in the trade deal negotiations – Washington had been using reciprocal tariffs as leverage for an agreement.

On Monday, Trump warned trade partners of higher tariffs if they “play games” over the Supreme Court order. A number of countries have expressed concern over their US deal following the court ruling.

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A vocal critic of Indian trade policy, Lutnik’s visit to India could mean easing of tensions between India and the US. In January, he said India “missed the train” on multiple occasions to sign a trade deal earlier.

In September last year, Lutnick said India would be back at the negotiating table in one or two months, “saying sorry” to try to sign the trade deal. The US, he underlined, is the largest consumer in the world and the “consumer is always right”.

Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, specializing in economic policy and financial regulations. With over five years of experience in business journalism, he provides critical coverage of the frameworks that govern India’s commercial landscape.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s reporting concentrates on the intersection of government policy and market operations. His core beats include:

Trade & Commerce: Analysis of India’s import-export trends, trade agreements, and commercial policies.

Banking & Finance: Covering regulatory changes and policy decisions affecting the banking sector.

Professional Experience: Prior to joining The Indian Express, Mishra built a robust portfolio working with some of India’s leading financial news organizations. His background includes tenures at:

Mint

CNBC-TV18

This diverse experience across both print and broadcast media has equipped him with a holistic understanding of financial storytelling and news cycles.
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