US Ambassador To India Sergio Gor Arrives In New Delhi Amid 500% Tariff Threat - What's Next?

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor arrived in New Delhi on Friday, expressing optimism about the future of India–US relations. His visit comes a day after US President Donald Trump approved a bill allowing

for tariffs of at least 500% on such nations, a move aimed at “punishing” buyers of Russian crude.In a post on X, Gor wrote, "Great to be back in India! Incredible opportunities ahead for our two nations!"

This comes after India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met Gor at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in December, where the discussion centered on the “shared goal” of strengthening trade ties between India and the United States and priorities for the bilateral partnership.

Gor was sworn in as the US Ambassador to India in November at the White House. This comes as tensions flared in India-US trade ties after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested in a recent podcast that a key bilateral trade deal fell through because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not personally call President Donald Trump.External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described Lutnick's remarks as "not accurate." He stressed that India and the United States had been working toward a trade agreement since February 13 last year.Also Read: India-US Trade Talks In Focus? Indian Envoy Vinay Kwatra Meets US Counterpart Sergio Gor At Trump's Mar-a-Lago

Trade talks amid tariff threat

India and the US have been in continuous talks, with both Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visiting Washington, DC, in 2025 for important follow-up discussion on the trade pact.However, in the latest escalation in the trade war between the two nations, Trump approved a bill which US Senator Lindsey Graham said would provide the US with significant leverage over countries such as China, India, and Brazil, encouraging them to stop purchasing discounted Russian oil. As per the official website of the US Congress, the bill titled "Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025" by Graham seeks to impose several provisions, which include penalties on individuals and entities, including an increase of the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services. Also Read:'Modi, Trump Spoke For…': MEA Tears Down US Statement on Why India-US Trade Deal Did Not Happen

Tariffs, totalling 50%, were imposed due to India's purchase of Russian oil last year, which the US sees as supporting Russia's economy amid the Ukraine conflict.