Donald Trump
India, US discuss trade and investment at FOC amid Trump’s latest rice tariff warning
The India–United States Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and U.S. Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker, was held in New Delhi on Tuesday against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose tariffs on Indian rice.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the consultations provided an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the India–U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
India–U.S. Foreign Office Consultations, co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and U.S. Under Secretary Allison Hooker, were held in New Delhi today. Both sides reviewed the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and discussed bilateral, regional and global issues.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 9, 2025
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The two sides discussed a wide range of key bilateral issues, including trade and investment, defence cooperation, the TRUST initiative, energy collaboration—particularly in the civil nuclear sector—technology, critical minerals, and trusted supply chains.
“The discussions also covered regional and global developments of mutual interest, with both sides underscoring their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the MEA said.
Both delegations welcomed steady progress across existing dialogue mechanisms and agreed to accelerate the implementation of the “Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology (COMPACT) for the 21st Century” initiative to drive transformative cooperation across the core pillars of the partnership.
Meanwhile, President Trump accused New Delhi of dumping rice into the United States.
He made the remarks on Monday while announcing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would provide $12 billion in one-time bridge payments to American farmers to offset temporary market disruptions and rising production costs.
Commenting on Indian rice during the event, Trump was quoted by the media as saying, “They shouldn’t be dumping. I mean, I heard that from others. You can’t do that.”
His remarks followed a presentation listing India, Thailand and China among countries allegedly dumping rice into the U.S. market, according to The Federal.
India–U.S. relations had hit a low point earlier this year when, just months after assuming office, Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, citing trade barriers and New Delhi’s purchase of crude oil from Russia.
Since then, both sides have engaged in trade negotiations aimed at addressing key differences and easing tensions.
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