2/14/2025–|Last update: 2/14/202511:15 PM (Mecca time)
US President Donald Trump received Narendra Modi at the White House yesterday evening Thursday with a large hug, describing him as a “great friend”, but he nevertheless warned that India would not be fortified with the increase in customs duties that began to impose on the commercial partners of the states United all over the world.
Trump had previously described India as “the queen of customs duties”, and considered that the customs duties imposed by India were “unfair and strong.”
Trump said – at a joint press conference in which he was standing next to Modi – that his country would impose customs duties similar to what India imposes on American goods.
Trump also spoke of a guarantee that the United States will remove its trade deficit with India. He suggested that this could be done by increasing US energy exports to India, but he also promised to restore “justice and reciprocity” to the economic relationship, and he said that he started working with Modi on a major trade agreement that can be completed later this year.
It is noteworthy that there is a trade deficit between the United States and India worth $ 50 billion in favor of India. The total trade between the two countries of goods and services amounted to about $ 190 billion in 2023 and according to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US exports to India were estimated at about 70 billion dollars while imports were $ 120 billion.
deal
Before Modi arrived at the White House, Trump signed an order to increase customs tariffs to suit the tax rates imposed by other countries on imports, affecting America’s trade partners around the world, including India.
In yesterday’s meeting, the two leaders agreed to work towards an agreement to resolve commercial concerns.
Indian Foreign Minister Vikram Missri said after the meeting that such an agreement can be concluded within the next seven months.
A senior Trump administration official said the agreement could be announced this year.
Some of the agreements reached by the two leaders were ambitious, as India wanted to increase its purchases of American defense equipment to include “billions of dollars” fighter planes, and the possibility of making Washington the “first oil and gas” resource, according to what Trump said at a joint press conference with Modi.
For his part, Moody said that New Delhi wanted to increase trade with Washington to the same by 2030.
The long -planned cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, which the two leaders addressed, faces legal challenges.
