Trump's ceasefire claim in US court: MEA says 'no discussion on tariffs'
The US government told the court that India and Pakistan reached a “tenuous ceasefire” only after Donald Trump “interceded and offered both nations trading access with the US to avert a full-scale war”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday (May 29) reiterated that there was no connection between the tariffs imposed by the United States and the discussions with Donald Trump’s administration over a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
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External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s response at a press briefing in New Delhi came after the US government claimed in an American court that tariffs were key in brokering a truce between India and Pakistan.
What US administration said in court
The US administration, while defending the use of powers to impose sweeping tariffs, told a New York court that an adverse ruling would jeopardise the truce brokered by President Donald Trump between nuclear powers India and Pakistan.
The submission, made last week, failed to convince the Court of International Trade, which blocked Trump's tariffs from going into effect.
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The Trump administration told the court that India and Pakistan reached a “tenuous ceasefire” only after President Donald Trump “interceded and offered both nations trading access with the US to avert a full-scale war”.
MEA’s response
When asked about the Trump administration’s claims, Jaiswal said, “From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the understanding of cessation of firing and military action on May 10, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation.”
He added, “The issue of trade or tariff did not come up in any of those discussions. External Affairs Minister has also made it clear that the cessation of firing was decided upon through direct contact between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan.”
‘Trump used his emergency powers’
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a submission to the Court of International Trade, had argued that Trump used his emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs aimed at protecting US national security and economy.
Lutnick said that the maintenance of tariffs is crucial to the president’s ability to conduct real-world diplomacy.
“For example, India and Pakistan – two nuclear powers engaged in combat operations just 13 days ago – reached a tenuous ceasefire on May 10, 2025. This ceasefire was only achieved after President Trump interceded and offered both nations trading access with the United States to avert a full-scale war,” Lutnick claimed in the submission.
“An adverse ruling that constrains presidential power in this case could lead India and Pakistan to question the validity of President Trump’s offer, threatening the security of an entire region, and the lives of millions,” he said.