Countries in the region were already seeking trade talks rather than retaliation.
The highlights this week: U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff reversal benefits some South Asian states, Pakistan hosts a forum to court investment in its untapped mineral reserves , and India signs a controversial bill on Muslim properties into law. Welcome to Foreign Policy's South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff reversal benefits some South Asian states, Pakistan hosts a forum to court investment in its untapped mineral reserves, and India signs a controversial bill on Muslim properties into law. Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday. U.S. Tariff Reversal Brings Some Unexpected Relief On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would pause implementation of his so-called reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, citing talks with other countries on trade. "Nothing is over yet, but we have a tremendous amount of spirit from other countries," Trump said. With the notable exception of China, U.S. trade partners will face only a universal 10 percent tariff, according to the White House. U.S. markets climbed on the news after having fallen precipitously following Trump's initial April 2 declaration. The new tariffs were set to hit every country in South Asia—though some more than others. Now, countries face some unexpected relief—along with further uncertainty. Though Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Nepal were already targeted with just the 10 percent levy imposed on all countries, the rest of the region was grappling with reciprocal tariffs: Sri Lanka (44 percent), Bangladesh (37 percent), Pakistan (29 percent), and India (26 percent). The United States' $45.7 billion trade deficit with India—the highest of any country in the region—explains why it was initially hit, even though it preemptively lowered some tariffs and pledged to import more U.S. goods. New Delhi and Washington were already engaged in trade talks in the pursuit of a bilateral deal to reduce tariff and…