Washington aims to resolve trade dispute with India soon

WASHINGTON

The United States expects to resolve a bitter tariff row with India within weeks, an envoy of President Donald Trump has said, as he voiced hope for keeping New Delhi in U.S. good graces.

India has seen outrage and a spike in anti-U.S. sentiment after Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on some of its exports over purchases of oil from Russia, under Western sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.

Sergio Gor, nominated by Trump to be ambassador to India, said he expected progress when India's trade minister visits Washington next week.

"I do think it will get resolved over the next few weeks," Gor told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his confirmation hearing.

Describing the tariffs as a "little hiccup," Gor, also named to a broad position of Trump's special envoy for South Asia, said of concern over India's Russia ties, "We hold our friends to different standards."

"I will make it a top priority to ensure that they're pulled in our direction, not away from us," Gor said of India.

Trump has accused New Delhi of fueling Moscow's invasion of Ukraine by buying oil from Russia, its Cold War ally. Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro has even called it "Modi's war."

Trump has not taken similar action against Russia itself and appeared peeved that Modi did not personally credit him for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following their conflict in May.

India, maintaining a decades-old red line against outside intervention over divided Kashmir -- has also rebuffed Trump's overtures to mediate between the two nuclear-armed nations.