External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Tuesday ahead of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, officials said. The meeting follows Jaishankar’s visit to the United States from February 2-4, during which he will participate in the ministerial convened by Rubio on Wednesday and hold meetings with senior US administration officials.
The meeting comes a day after US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that India and the US had agreed a trade deal under which Washington would lower the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25% to 18%. Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X expressing gratitude to Trump and welcoming the reduced tariff for Made in India products, saying the move would benefit people and unlock opportunities for cooperation between the two large democracies.
The State Department said the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial will bring delegations together to advance efforts to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains. “This historic gathering will create momentum for collaboration to secure these critical components vital to technological innovation, economic strength, and national security,” the department said.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary Rubio, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Global Supply Chains David Copley, and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg are slated to deliver opening remarks at the ministerial.
