Too literal

Sir — Most diners are aware of the disappointment of having their careful instructions ignored at a restaurant. Since restaurant workers are overworked, such mix-ups are natural. But it is rare to feel frustrated as a result of one’s instructions being followed to a tee. That is precisely what a woman in India faced when she ordered a cake for her colleague’s farewell party. Upon being instructed to “Put Bye on the cake”, the baker proceeded to put all five words on the cake in icing instead of just the word, ‘Bye’. Taking instructions too literally can sometimes be as risky as ignoring them altogether.

Shravana Palit,
Delhi

Tricky deal

Sir — The president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, had kept the tariffs imposed on various countries in abeyance till July 9. Preparations are thus in full swing to finalise an interim trade deal between New Delhi and Washington. While both countries have confirmed that a deal is around the corner, Delhi has indicated “very big red lines” on agriculture and dairy security and the US is pressing India to open up markets in agriculture. Farmer suicide rates remain high in India. Will India be able to withstand pressure from the US on this?

Jang Bahadur Singh,
Jamshedpur

Sir — While a potential India-US trade deal may sound promising, past experiences — the 2019 withdrawal of the Generalised System of Preferences benefits impacting 6.3 billion dollars worth of Indian exports is a case in point — call for caution. Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs reflects asymmetric bargaining power where the US leverages trade deficits to gain market access. India must resist pressure to open up politically sensitive sectors like dairy and agriculture since the US has not rolled back punitive tariffs on steel and automobiles. A rules-based, equitable framework should guide India’s trade diplomacy.

Sagartirtha Chakraborty,
Guwahati

Sir — India’s external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, is known for calling a spade a spade. He has said that no trade deal is possible unless both countries can find common ground. It is thus not prudent to speculate on the basis of what Donald Trump says about the trade deal with India for he is prone to exaggerating and even denying statements he himself has earlier made.

S. Balakrishnan,
Jamshedpur

Sir — A recent spate of court rulings in America has aggravated uncertainty in global trade. First, the US Court of International Trade struck down Donald Trump’s international tariffs and then a federal appeals court temporarily reinstated them. Further, the recent decision of the Trump administration to raise the tariffs on steel and aluminium to 50% undermines ongoing efforts to reach a trade deal. India needs to hasten the process of signing a deal with the US to stabilise markets and ensure that it does not have to shoulder additional tariffs.

M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

Sir — A prospective trade deal with the US may sound promising but who is truly going to benefit from it? Are we safeguarding our farmers or surrendering to external economic pressure? Can India’s small-scale agriculturists withstand a flood of cheap imports? A trade deal must not be rushed under foreign influence.

Hasnain Rabbani,
Mumbai

Sir — With Donald Trump announcing that a trade deal with India is around the corner, the Congress took a swipe at the government, saying that Indians are being given information of national significance by the US. It was referring to Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor. The government must not let the US president leave it with egg on its face time and again.

Bhagwan Thadani,
Mumbai