Trade not discussed between India, US during Indo-Pak conflict as claimed by Trump: Reports
Government sources clarify after US President claims he pressured India, Pakistan to reach a ceasefire by threatening to stop trade with them
Trade was not a topic of discussion between top leaders of India and the US during the India-Pakistan military conflict, government sources confirmed to media houses, including PTI and India Today, on Monday (May 12).
The clarification from the government’s side came after American President Donald Trump claimed that he pressured New Delhi and Islamabad to stop hostilities by threatening to cut trade with both countries.
‘No reference to trade in talks’
US Vice President JD Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9 but there was no reference to trade in the conversation, the sources told PTI.
"After Operation Sindoor commenced, Vice President Vance spoke to the prime minister on May 9," a source said.
Also read: Op Sindoor: PM Modi's address spells out 3 key points on Pak and terrorism
"Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on May 8 and May 10 and to NSA (National Security Advisor) Ajit Doval on May 10. There was no reference to trade in any of these discussions," they said.
Trump’s claim
The source-based clarification came after Trump on Monday said he forced the two countries to stop the hostilities by using the trade card.
"I said, 'Come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let's stop it. Let's stop it. If you stop it, we're doing trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade'," Trump said at a press conference in the White House.
The US president's remarks came at a time India and the US are engaged in negotiations to firm up an ambitious trade deal.
America is also India’s largest trading partner, with trade between the two nations totalling around $129.2 billion in 2024. The trade between the US and Pakistan, on the other hand, was $7.3 billion in 2024.
Also read: Trump: US stopped India-Pakistan 'nuclear conflict', will do 'lot of trade' with them
‘We stopped a nuclear conflict’
In his remarks, Trump added, "People have never really used trade the way I used it, that I can tell you. And all of a sudden they (India and Pakistan) said, 'I think we're going to stop.'" "And they have, and they did it for a lot of reasons, but trade is a big one. We're going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan. We're going to do a lot of trade with India," he said.
"We're negotiating with India right now. We're going to be soon negotiating with Pakistan, and we stopped a nuclear conflict," Trump claimed.
On India-Pak ceasefire
Trump also claimed that it was the US that helped India and Pakistan reach a "full and immediate ceasefire".
"On Saturday, my administration helped broker a full and immediate ceasefire, I think, a permanent one, between India and Pakistan, ending a dangerous conflict between two nations with lots of nuclear weapons," Trump said.
Also read: Trump offers to mediate on Kashmir, says will ramp up trade with India, Pak
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Indian government sources have been maintaining that the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions, and no third party was involved.