Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has embarked on a three-day visit to the US to attend a Washington-led ministerial meeting on the critical minerals supply chain. EAM’s visit is important as it is being seen as an opportunity to address the sharp downturn in the relations between the two countries.
EAM will hold bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials of the Trump administration.
"External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit the United States from February 2 to 5 to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio," the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
"During the visit, the external affairs minister will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration," it said.
India-US ties have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duties, for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. Apart from the tariff issue, the relations witnessed a downturn on a number of other issues that included Trump's claim of ending the India-Pakistan conflict in May last year and Washington's new immigration policy.
Bilateral ties between India and the United States have come under intense pressure following President Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent. This includes a specific 25 per cent 'penalty' duty imposed in response to India’s continued procurement of Russian crude oil. Beyond trade, the relationship has been strained by a series of diplomatic rifts, most notably Trump’s May 2025 claim of brokering an end to the India-Pakistan conflict and the implementation of Washington’s restrictive new immigration policies.
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