US President Donald Trump has said that the United States and India are likely to reach a trade agreement soon, despite ongoing concerns over tariffs and trade barriers. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted the strong relationship between the two countries.
‘Prime Minister Modi was here just recently, and he’s a friend of mine. We get along very well. I think we’re going to have a deal with India,’ Trump said.
Referring to trade relations between the two nations, Trump claimed that India had imposed high tariffs on American products for many years.
‘India was one of the highest tariff nations in the world. They made it almost impossible to do business. Do you know that? We do very little business inside. They do all of their business practically with us. We did almost no business inside,’ he said.
Trump further stated that the situation has changed and claimed that the United States is now earning more from trade with India than before.
His remarks came as both countries continue negotiations on an interim bilateral trade agreement. A US delegation recently visited India for discussions, and according to India’s Commerce Ministry, the talks were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Both sides reiterated their commitment to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement that would strengthen economic and trade ties.
At the same time, the trade talks are taking place amid a fresh tariff threat from Washington. The US administration has proposed additional tariffs of up to 12.5 percent on imports from India and 53 other countries after investigations linked certain imported goods to alleged forced labour practices. The list of countries includes India, China, Australia, Israel, Japan, Qatar and Russia.
Trump also referred to American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson while discussing tariffs. He claimed that the company faced difficulties selling motorcycles in India because of high import duties.
“Harley-Davidson couldn’t sell motorcycles in India because India had a 200% tariff. Harley-Davidson had to build a factory in India. Now, if India built a motorcycle and sold it into our country, there was no tariff. That’s called unfair,” Trump said.
The ongoing negotiations are linked to the framework of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) announced after a meeting between Trump and PM Modi earlier this year. Both countries have been working towards finalising the first phase of the agreement, which aims to improve market access and strengthen trade relations.
Despite differences over tariffs, both India and the United States have continued discussions, with officials expressing optimism about reaching an agreement in the near future.
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