The president of the United States, Donald Trump, met with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. They addressed the tariff issue, agreed to negotiate to resolve commercial differences and deepen safety cooperation.
President Donald Trump He met Thursday with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promised to bring “justice and reciprocity” to the economic relationship of both countries, which, he said, would imply reducing the commercial deficit between the two countries and probably increase tariffs.
He affirmed that he and Modi had begun to work in an important commercial agreement that could be completed at the end of this year.
“Prime Minister Modi recently announced reductions to unfair and very strong tariffs that India applies and limit our access to the Indian market very severely,” Trump said. “And I must say that it is a big problem.”
“What Indian copper, we charge it,” he said at a press conference with Modi.
The United States and India have a trade deficit of 50,000 million dollars in favor of India. The trade of goods and services between India and the United States amounted to about 190.1 billion dollars in 2023. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India, US exports to India amounted to almost 70 billion dollars and imports to 120,000 Millions of dollars.
For his part, Modi praised Trump and said he is determined to “make India again” or “crumb”, using the word game with the motto and movement of President “Maga” or “Make America Great Again ”(Make the United States again).
Trump also said he would repald the extradition of one of the conspirators of Mumbai's attacks in 2008, apparently referring to Tahawwur Hussain Rana, which was sentenced in 2011 in the United States for planning an attack against a Danish newspaper.
“He will return to India to face justice,” Trump said, adding that “we will return it to India immediately.” Trump said more extraditions could come.
On the other hand, he said that India wants to increase in “billions of dollars” its purchases of US defense equipment, including combat airplanes, and could turn Washington into the “number one supplier” of oil and gas. Meanwhile, Modi said he wants to duplicate trade with Washington by 2030.
“We are also racing the way for India to receive the f-35 poachers,” Trump said.
The F-35 is the most expensive American defense program and the largest income generator of Lockheed Martin. The F-35 Lightning II was on display in an air exhibition in India this week.
Before the press conference, Trump and Modi greeted themselves with a hug and then gathered in the Oval office. The president described Modi as “great friend” even though he has just signed a order to increase tariffs to several of its partners.
Modi seeks to avoid US tariffs and improve relations with Washington and the West in general, who have been cold lately after Modi refused to condemn Russia for his war against Ukraine.
“The world had this idea that India is somehow a neutral country throughout this process,” Modi said, praising Trump for speaking with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday. “But that is not true. India has a side, and that side is that of peace.”
“Something that I appreciate deeply and that I learn from President Trump is that he always maintains the national interest above all,” said Modi before. “Like him, I also maintain the national interest of India above all others.”
Meeting with Musk
Modi is the fourth foreign leader who visits Trump since his inauguration last month. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ishiba of Japan and King Abdullah II of Jordan were already done.
Before meeting with Trump, Modi met with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. He also met with the founding billionaire of Spacex and senior official of the Trump administration, Elon Musk, with whom he discussed issues such as space, mobility, technology and innovation, according to the president in X.
“His conversation also addressed opportunities to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, business spirit and good governance,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said separately in a statement.
Starlink, from Spacex, has been wanting to launch in India for some time and in recent months he has faced the company of multimillionaire Mikesh Ambani because of the way in which the country must grant spectrum for satellite services.
Migratory theme
Modi and Trump also said they had discussed immigration.
India recently accepted the return of 104 migrants brought in an American military plane, the first flight of this type to the country as part of the Trump administration offensive against immigration and the border between the United States and Mexico.
More than 725,000 immigrants from India are in the United States without authorization, the third highest figure in any country after Mexico and El Salvador, according to the Pew Research Center.
In recent years there has also been an increase in the number of Indians trying to enter through the border between the United States and Canada. The US border patrol arrested more than 14,000 Indians in the year that ended on September 30, 60% of all arrests there and more than 10 times the figure of two years ago.
Trump has promised a “mass deportation” of all those found in the United States illegally. Modi said Thursday that “we are totally prepared to bring to India back to any Indian who is in the United States illegally.”
(With information from The Associated Press and Reuters)