As a result of the announcement of the former United States President, Donald Trump, of new rates aimed at world exporters, including India, New Delhi carefully analyzes the potential impact on his exporters, while engaged in a close dialogue with the stakeholders of the industry.

High officials confirmed that the Government is in active consultation with all the main Indian exporters to evaluate the vulnerabilities of the sector and to develop an appropriate policy response. “We do not rush to retaliation measures. We are calibrating a well -informed strategic approach,” said a source from the Higher Ministry of Commerce.

In the midst of uncertainty, India sees a silver coating. With Washington increasingly focused on de -operating in China, India is in a unique leverage position. “There is a clear advantage here in the first movement. The United States has indicated the desire to communicate directly with India, unlike others. We aim to use this opportunity to promote deeper economic ties,” said an official involved in commercial negotiations.

India also maintains all open options, including a reciprocal rate scheme and a tour of import rights, in the event that there are signs of market distortion or dumping of products by third countries seeking to terminate goods through India.

In a highly discussed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States, officials reiterated India’s commitment to a “just, balanced and equitable” agreement. “This cannot be a unilateral agreement. Our interests must be safeguarded.”

In contrast to some global reactions, India has clarified that it will not join any retaliation trade block such as Asean’s response mechanism. Instead, it focuses on exploring new collaborations, including possible free trade agreements (FTA) with the Golf Cooperation Council (GCC), Bahrain and Qatar.

“Demand destruction is not a concern right now. Recent U.S. tax cuts, combined with the facilitation of world energy prices, give us space to breathe to negotiate from a force position,” added one official.

India’s nuanced response indicates its intention to walk a fine line: to protect domestic interests while taking advantage of the moment to deepen the alignments of strategic trade.