US commerce secretary’s surprise India visit after Trump tariffs shock: Big reset in trade talks?
New Delhi: The US Commerce Secretary made an unscheduled visit to New Delhi days after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime, holding talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held a “highly productive” lunch meeting with India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Thursday, amid shifting trade dynamics following a key US court ruling on tariffs.
The visit came shortly after the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated former President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
What was discussed
According to the US Commerce Department, the two sides “discussed ways to deepen the trade and economic relationship between the United States and India.”
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described the meeting as “highly productive,” while Goyal said the discussions were “very fruitful” in expanding trade and economic partnership.
Officials did not disclose specific outcomes, but the talks come at a crucial time for India–US trade negotiations.
Why the visit matters
On February 20, the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariff framework that relied on emergency powers. In response, Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a fresh global tariff of 10%, later signalling it could rise to 15%. The levy currently stands at 10% above prevailing most-favoured-nation (MFN) rates and is valid for 150 days.
The ruling disrupted a previously negotiated roadmap under a February 6 joint statement, which had envisaged reducing additional US tariffs on Indian goods — previously reaching up to 50% — to 18% in exchange for trade concessions from India, including curbs on Russian crude purchases and preferential access for select US goods.
India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain had been scheduled to travel to Washington for talks, but the visit was postponed as both sides reassess the legal and policy implications of the court’s decision.
Legal experts note that tariff-setting authority in the US ultimately rests with Congress, meaning any new bilateral arrangement must operate within constitutional constraints reaffirmed by the court.
Later in the day, Lutnick travelled to Jodhpur to attend a private wedding event, according to people familiar with the matter.
According to reports, Howard Lutnick has been mentioned in previously unsealed court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and has acknowledged having met Epstein in a social or professional context in the past.
The unscheduled visit underscores the urgency on both sides to recalibrate trade negotiations amid a changed legal landscape in Washington.