Rubio cites progress in US, India talks this week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and India made progress on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said amid ongoing trade talks and steep U.S. tariffs imposed as part of Washington’s pressure campaign over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"We had meetings with them again yesterday, and it has to do with their purchase of Russian oil," Rubio said in a interview on ABC News' "Good Morning America" program on Tuesday, citing "a lot of progress."

India's trade minister had been scheduled to visit Washington this week in an effort to accelerate talks after negotiations resumed last week.

Trump last month imposed a 25% punitive levy on Indian imports from August 27, doubling overall tariffs to 50%, as his administration pressures New Delhi to cut its Russian oil purchases.

Rubio did not say whether the two sides discussed the Trump administration's H-1B visa $100,000 fee or Washington's demands that India open its agriculture and dairy sector for U.S. companies.

Indian officials will ask U.S. trade negotiators this week to ease access for thousands of skilled workers, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a public address over the weekend, urged citizens to use local products and avoid foreign-made ones.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Alison Williams)

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