India’s narrower trade deficit in March looks better at first glance, but the improvement is not a sign of underlying strength. It reflects disruption. The merchandise trade gap fell to $20.67 billion from $27.1 billion in February, well below market expectations, because both imports and exports dropped as the Iran war disrupted shipping and trade flows through the Middle East. Imports fell 6.5% year on year to $59.59 billion, while exports fell 7.4% to $38.92 billion.

The key point is that India’s trade balance improved because trade itself weakened, especially with West Asia. The commerce ministry said exports to the Middle East fell by about $3.5 billion in March, while imports from the region dropped by $8.7 billion. That larger fall in imports than exports mathematically narrowed the deficit, but it does not represent a healthier external position.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision did not end Trump-era tariff pressure, but it did change the balance of leverage and timing in a way that major trading partners, especially in Asia, are now trying to exploit. Washington’s most sweeping second-term tariffs were knocked back on legal grounds, while Trump simultaneously signaled he would rebuild tariff pressure using other authorities.

That leaves countries from the EU to China in a familiar but more complicated position: they may have gained short-term negotiating space, but they still face a U.S. administration committed to tariffs as a core policy instrument.

The United States is strategically increasing its efforts to strengthen ties with African nations abundant in critical minerals, primarily with the aim of securing a stable supply for its burgeoning clean energy initiatives. Recent workshops held in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and Kinshasa in the neighboring…