Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Sep 6: White House Economic Advisor Kevin Hassett has said that US President Donald Trump and his trade team are “disappointed” with India’s continued imports of Russian crude oil but expressed hope for “positive developments” soon.

“I think that the trade team and the President are disappointed that India continues to fund Russia’s Ukraine war… Hopefully, it’s a democratic issue, and we’ll have positive developments,” Hassett told ANI during a media interaction.

The remarks come days after Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to the deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

The US recently imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods — 25 per cent last month and an additional 25 per cent penalty for India’s Russian oil purchases, bringing total duties to 50 per cent from September 27.

India has rejected the US move as “unjustified and unreasonable.” The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed that as a major economy, India would take necessary steps to safeguard its national interests. It also pointed out Europe’s far higher trade volumes with Russia, including record LNG imports of 16.5 million tonnes in 2024, alongside extensive trade in fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery.

Meanwhile, Hassett said semiconductor tariff proposals will soon be presented to President Trump, with possible exemptions for firms investing in the US.

On the domestic economy, he called the latest jobs report “disappointing” but maintained an optimistic outlook, citing strong capital spending and factory construction. “Capital spending is growing at about 8 per cent this year, GDP is on track for three per cent growth, inflation is low, and income growth is solid,” he said.

Despite softer job numbers in recent months, Hassett said Trump’s economic team expects revisions upward, supported by momentum in private investment and tax reform-driven growth.