US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has intensified his critique of major trading partners, saying that countries like India and Brazil must “react correctly” by opening their markets and refraining from policies that disadvantage American interests.
Lutnick’s comments come amid increasing friction between Washington and New Delhi over trade barriers, energy purchases, and tariffs, signaling a tense period in US-India economic relations.
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“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.”
‘There are some countries we need to fix – like India and Brazil. These countries need to react correctly to America. They need to open their markets and stop taking actions that harm America,’ says US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pic.twitter.com/MXqx2TUQMA
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) September 28, 2025
Lutnick’s remarks represent a further escalation in his ongoing criticism of India’s trade and energy strategies, which he previously described as “bravado” in response to tariffs imposed during Donald Trump’s administration.
Howard Lutnick Targetting India
Just days earlier, Lutnick told Bloomberg that India’s resistance in trade negotiations was largely symbolic. He predicted that New Delhi would return to the negotiating table “in a month or two,” adding that Indian businesses would eventually push Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government toward a deal with Washington.
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“So I think what happens is it’s all bravado, because you think it feels good to fight with the biggest client in the world, but eventually your businesses are going to say you’ve got to stop this and go make a deal with America,” Lutnick said.
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The US official also condemned India’s growing purchases of discounted Russian crude oil following the Ukraine invasion, calling the move “plain wrong” and “ridiculous.” He emphasized that India must make a choice regarding its international alliances.
Framing the issue in economic terms, Lutnick reminded trading partners of the United States’ global market power.
“We are the consumer of the world. People have to remember, it’s our $30 trillion economy that is the consumer of the world. So eventually they all have to come back to the customer, because we all know eventually the customer is always right,” he said.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
