Global Media Questions Rubio, Indian Media Silent; Ties with Canada ‘Reset’

June

2026

Global media closely tracked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s four-day diplomatic visit to India as he departed New Delhi on 26 May after attending the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Indian media covered the events but did not comment on what transpired between Rubio and the Indian government. The issues include: 50% punitive tariffs on India, US President Trump's recent visit to China, US praise for Pakistan, and Rubio's comments that India has 'committed' to purchasing 'USD 500B' worth of American goods mainly in energy, technology and agriculture over the next five years. US relations with China and Pakistan affect India’s foreign policy and US tariffs and India’s commitment affect India's economic sovereignty. India’s energy commitment would imply India buying Venezuela's dense, crude oil; technology implies AI data centers which consume huge amounts of water and power; and agriculture implies import of genetically modified maize, cattle feed, poultry products which affect India's rural economy, especially Panjab's as an agrarian state. The figure of USD 500B had earlier come up during the interim trade deal statement released by the White House. Since then, the US Supreme Court has scrapped Trump’s tariffs for all countries, standardizing 10% tariffs globally. Financial Times says, 'Under these circumstances, it is rather bizarre that India is not only continuing with the plan to buy USD 500B worth of American goods over the next five years, but is also not challenging Rubio’s assertion that this now constitutes a commitment.' Meanwhile, Indian Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal highlighted the role of the Indo-Canadian community in strengthening bilateral economic relations and deepening people-to-people ties during his three-day visit to Canada, which concluded on 28 May. The visit focused on trade, investment and ongoing negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Goyal met Canada's Minister of International Trade, Maninder Singh Sidhu and Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, to discuss collaboration in manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, clean energy, food processing, and critical minerals. Bilateral trade between India and Canada currently stands at around USD 8.5B, with both countries committed to expanding it to USD 50B by 2030. Goyal said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to India in March had 'reset' the ties between the two countries. The Sikh issues, India's transnational repression, and killing of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 seem to have gone on the backburner for now (earlier coverage).