US Credits Trump's Trade Access Offer for Averting India-Pakistan War
- Trump’s trade access offer credited with averting India-Pakistan war.
- India denies any US mediation in the ceasefire.
- Court ruled Trump overstepped on tariffs; appeal filed, causing uncertainty.
For the first time, the US government officially stated that President Donald Trump’s trade access offer played a crucial role in averting a potential war between India and Pakistan. In a legal submission dated May 23, filed in the US Court of International Trade, the government claimed that the May 10 ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors was possible 'only after' Trump extended trading access to both countries.
However, India has firmly rejected all claims made by Trump and his administration regarding US mediation in the ceasefire. The court filing emerged amid a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s tariffs announced on April 2 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The case alleges that the president and several federal departments exceeded their legal authority by imposing additional levies on multiple nations.
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and three other administration officials submitted the on-record statement to the court, linking the trade access offer with the ceasefire. The federal court earlier ruled that Trump had indeed overstepped his authority in announcing the tariffs. The administration has since filed an appeal against the ruling, leaving companies and affected countries uncertain about the status of import duties moving forward.
This legal back-and-forth has created confusion in international trade circles as the future of the tariffs remains unresolved. Meanwhile, the significance of trade diplomacy in international conflict resolution has been brought into sharp focus by the court documents.
