India-U.S. trade deal unlikely until competitor countries probed, tariffed

India and the U.S. are unlikely to sign a trade deal until the U.S. launches a series of fresh ‘Section 301 investigations’, concludes them, and places tariffs on India’s competitors such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, a person familiar with the process has said. It was a “strategic mistake”, according to the person, that Pakistan was not included in the list of countries probed in the excess capacity 301 investigations opened in March 2026.

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