India–US trade talks stall as Russian-oil tariff authority changes the negotiating range

On October 6, Reuters reported that India–US trade negotiations had reached a “plateau,” after a February framework reduced punitive tariffs on most Indian goods from 50% to 18%. A new US law can authorize tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing significant volumes of Russian oil, while a pending Section 301 investigation into excess industrial capacity leaves final tariff exposure unresolved. Companies should avoid treating the February framework as settled market access and should model contract pricing, origin strategy and termination rights against multiple tariff outcomes. The dispute also demonstrates how sanctions objectives can migrate into trade policy, complicating advice that treats customs and sanctions compliance as separate workstreams.