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India rejects Trump's F-35 offer? Report says new defence purchase off the table amid US tariff blitz
(File) A flight deck crew signal to F-35 jet on USS George Washington during Freedom Edge trilateral exercise among United States, Japan and South Korea in the East China Sea, south of the Korean peninsula and west of Japan's main islands November 14, 2024. Reuters
Even as India is looking at ways to placate US President Donald Trump, no major purchase of American defence equipment, such as the F-35 fighter plane, is on the cards, according to a report.
In recent days, Trump has been on a constant offensive against India, firing off one angry social media post after another. In addition to slapping India with 25 per cent tariff, he has threatened additional penalties for any trade with Russia.
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Trump's announcement of 25 per cent tariff on India even as the two countries were engaged in trade talks came as a shock and disappointment to the Indian government, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
They said that India was looking at ways to address some of Trump's concerns, such as reducing the trade deficit, but no major defence purchase, such as F-35 fighter plane that the US president has wanted to sell to India, is on the cards.
The United States is the largest Indian trading partner. The US runs its 11th-largest trade deficit with India.
What's on the table in India-US table — and what's not
Even though India and the United States have close defence and security ties, and India uses US defence equipment such as military transport aeroplanes, no new purchases of any equipment like F-35s is on the cards to decrease the trade deficit, according to Bloomberg.
To reduce the trade deficit in a bid to placate Trump, India is considering increasing the purchase of natural gas, communication equipment, and gold from the United States, the report said.
Even as the India reserves the right to impose retaliatory measures, no immediate retaliation is expected as India hopes to resolve the crisis with ongoing negotiations and concessions described above.
However, it is not known if Trump would be convinced as he has made the purchase of US defence equipment a key demand in his dealings with India, the report said.
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