Jaishankar Meets US Officials to Discuss Trade Deal, Critical Minerals, and Strategic Cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington following the announcement of a new India-US trade deal reducing tariffs from 25% to 18%. Discussions covered formalising cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing, alongside trade, energy, nuclear, defence, and technology. Both sides emphasized advancing economic opportunities, energy security, and expanding collaboration through the Quad. Jaishankar also addressed the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, highlighting the need to de-risk supply chains and supporting the US-led FORGE initiative amid concerns over concentration risks, particularly regarding China.