Vance Asks India To Drop Non-Tariff Barriers, Buy American Energy, Defence Hardware

US Vice President JD Vance, during his three-day visit to India, delivered a significant speech at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, urging India to remove non-tariff barriers, grant greater access to its markets, and increase purchases of American energy and defence hardware.
Vance’s remarks came a day after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, where both sides announced “significant progress” in bilateral trade negotiations and finalised terms of reference for a comprehensive trade agreement.
Vance struck a tone of partnership and mutual respect, explicitly criticising previous US administrations for what he described as a “preachiness or even...condescension” in their approach to India.
He emphasised that the Trump administration seeks a relationship based on fairness, shared interests, and respect for India’s sovereignty and ambitions. Vance praised Modi and India’s economic growth, highlighting the importance of the US and India working together to ensure a peaceful and prosperous 21st century.
On trade, Vance reiterated the US’s key demands: the removal of non-tariff barriers that restrict American products, expanded market access, and increased Indian imports of US energy—particularly oil and gas.
He argued that India, as the world’s third-largest energy consumer, stands to benefit from affordable American energy, which could help drive its economic expansion and lower costs for Indian industries. He also welcomed India’s recent moves to amend its civil nuclear liability laws, which could pave the way for US companies to export small modular reactors and build larger nuclear plants in India.
“India, we believe, can go a long way to enhance energy ties between our nations. And one suggestion I have is maybe consider dropping some of the non-tariff barriers for American access to the Indian market,” Vance said, referring to the main asks of the US side in trade negotiations.
Vance strongly advocated for enhanced defence cooperation, pitching advanced US military equipment such as F-35 fighter jets, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and Stryker armoured vehicles.
He emphasised the potential for co-production of munitions and defence technology, framing such collaboration as a means to ensure mutual security and deter foreign threats—not as a move toward conflict, but as a guarantee of peace through strength.
Beyond trade and defence, Vance highlighted the growing technology partnership between the two nations, referencing the bilateral Trust (Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology) initiative.
He projected that this collaboration would spur investments in data centres, pharmaceuticals, undersea cables, and other critical sectors, further integrating the two economies.
Vance also addressed the Trump administration’s recent imposition—and subsequent pause—of reciprocal tariffs on around 60 countries, including India, framing the move as necessary to protect American manufacturing and jobs while seeking balanced and stable global trade.
Both Trump and Modi, he noted, are committed to more than doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, with ongoing negotiations expected to yield a first tranche of agreements by the fall.
JD Vance’s visit and speech underscored the Trump administration’s priorities: reducing trade barriers, expanding commercial and defence ties, and building a partnership based on mutual benefit and strategic alignment.
He concluded that the future of the 21st century would be shaped by the strength of the US-India partnership, warning that failure to work together could have dire consequences for global stability and prosperity.
HT News