US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has intensified criticism of India and other trading partners, saying they must “react correctly” to US concerns by opening their markets and halting policies that harm American interests.
“We have a bunch of countries to fix — like Switzerland, Brazil, like India. These are countries that need to really react correctly to America,” Lutnick said in an interview with NewsNation. “They need to open their markets and stop taking actions that harm America.”
His remarks follow weeks of tension over tariffs and trade talks. Lutnick recently said India’s defiance was largely symbolic and predicted New Delhi would resume negotiations with Washington “in a month or two” under pressure from Indian businesses.
He has also criticized India’s increasing purchases of discounted Russian crude oil since the Ukraine war, calling it “plain wrong” and urging India to choose “which side it wants to be on.”
Framing the issue in economic terms, Lutnick reminded countries that the United States remains the world’s largest consumer market, with a $30 trillion economy. “Eventually they all have to come back to the customer, because the customer is always right,” he said.
The comments come amid heightened tensions between the US and India over trade barriers, energy policies, and tariffs.
