US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (File photo)

TOI correspondent from Washington: Employing language that some analysts likened to that used by mafioso, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said the Trump administration has a bunch of countries like India, Brazil, and Switzerland it needs to “fix” in order to arrive at trade deals. The three countries have copped tariffs ranging from around 40 percent to 50 percent because they have not responded “correctly” to the US, Lutnick said.“We have a bunch of countries to fix….like Switzerland, Brazil, India…these are countries that need to react correctly to America. Open the market. Stop taking actions that harm America. That’s why we are offsides with them,” Lutnick said in an interview on News Nation, a right-leaning cable network. Explaining President Trump’s trade doctrine, Lutnick said countries have to “play ball” with the US if they want to sell to the American consumer. The first countries to make a deal also get the best deal, he said, citing Switzerland, which though small, has racked up a $ 40 billion surplus with the US mostly selling luxury goods including watches, and is belatedly looking for a deal similar to the one UK clinched. But eventually these countries, including India and Brazil, will be “sorted out,” Lutnick said. The comments, coming after Lutnick used similar language in another interview earlier this month to warn India that it would have a tough time doing business with the world’s largest consumer (US) if it does not bring down tariffs and buy American corn, riled some commentators who likened him to a “mafia consigliere.” and an “attack dog.”“Lutnick the American Mercenary still talks like viceroy of American Empire not realising that India & Brazil are Sovereign nations,” Navroop Singh, an IPR attorney, said in a post on X. Even some American social media influencers found the comments offensive and embarrassing to the US. The US Commerce Secretary, a former CEO of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, and a NewYorker who says he has known Trump for 30 years, had also suggested earlier that India needs to bail out of BRICS if it wants to do business with the US. Lutnick supporters say that’s just his blustery New Yorker speak and he is well-inclined towards New Delhi. In some interviews, he has spoken about his fondness for India, and of having fun times in Mumbai playing cricket with his friend Nikesh Arora, a billionaire CEO of the cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks. While his remarks have agitated social media commentators, India itself has reacted coolly conveying during trade negotiations that it is ready to buy more US energy if it is commercially viable but will not be bullied into where it sources its needs from, keeping its national interest in mind.Lutnick also clarified in the News Nation interview that the proposed H1B enhanced fee of $ 100,000 will be a one-time fee rather than annual as he had said during its roll-out. He also said the new fee would kick from February 2026 and indicated there will much fine-tuning of the new proposals till then.