‘Not the Trump style’: Ex-US commerce official says India stayed ‘logical’ in US trade talks, 'did better than most'

India ‘did better than most’ in Trump-era US trade talks, says ex-US commerce official

• India signs interim trade framework with US, aiming for a formal deal in months
• Vickery praises India's structured approach over Trump's transactional style
• US revoked tariffs after India's commitment to halt Russian oil imports

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India’s decision to sign off on a framework for a bilateral trade agreement with the United States has unlocked fresh opportunities and positioned New Delhi as one of the few partners handling negotiations with Washington in a “logical and deliberate” manner, former US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Raymond Vickery said.

Speaking to ANI, Vickery said India has fared better than most countries by sticking to a structured negotiating process instead of being pulled into the uncertainty created by US President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to trade.

India pushes process over announcements

Vickery said the timeline around the interim trade framework is unusual compared with how major trading partners typically conclude agreements.

“The standard way is to work out details first, which takes more than a year, and then issue a joint statement saying this is the agreement,” he told ANI. “This is not the Trump style. The style is to announce something which may or may not be reality and then try to cram real standards into the framework later.”

He noted that India, even now, is signalling an intent to reach a more formal agreement within a few months — a pace that is more consistent with how trade negotiations usually work.

Caution on durability of Trump-era trade deals

Vickery warned that social media announcements and executive orders do not substitute for agreements that can stand the test of time.

“It’s one thing to go on social media and say something. It’s quite another to have an agreement which is operationally sufficient and lasts beyond an immediate transaction,” he said, adding that the risk with the Trump administration is prioritising short-term wins over building a stable US–India trade relationship.

Russian oil remains a sensitive fault line

On energy ties, Vickery said cooperation between India and the US on Russian oil remains critical, given its link to the Ukraine war. His remarks came after the White House revoked an additional 25 percent tariff imposed on India following a commitment to stop importing Russian oil.

However, he cautioned against assuming an abrupt shift in India’s long-standing relationship with Russia. “The relationship between Russia and India is not one which is going to be discarded overnight,” he said.

Interim deal, not the final word

The US and India earlier announced that they had reached a framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade, reaffirming their commitment to negotiations on a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) launched by Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13.

According to the joint statement, the interim framework is intended to pave the way for additional market access commitments and stronger, more resilient supply chains, while serving as a milestone in the US–India economic partnership.

Vickery said it remains to be seen whether Washington will move from headline announcements to a “sufficiently logical and deliberate process” that results in a durable agreement.