Modi-Trump Meeting: US-India Trade Deal by End of 2025
PM Narendra Modi with Billionaire Elon Musk Image credit X.com
White House Official Says ‘Early Body Language by India Positive’
By Raisina Correspondent
New Delhi, February 13: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, a White House official hinted a trade deal by end of this year between the two countries. The official said that the “early positive gestures by India” has been positive.
“The Trump administration hopes to ink a trade deal with India by the end of this year,” World Trade Online quoted a senior White House official saying on Thursday. The claims were made hours ahead of the meeting of Modi with Trump in Washington D.C.
The US has imposed tariff on aluminum and steel which also affect India. The US also has slapped tariff on China. The US has temporarily paused tariff against Mexico and Canada.
The White House official was quoted, saying that there had been positive early gestures by India. The reference made by the official was with regard to Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman proposing duty cuts on imports of several goods in the Budget unveiled on February 1.
“The official spoke about the administration’s approach to bilateral relations with India during a call with reporters,” added World Trade Online in its report. “Early body language on trade from the Indian government has been positive,” said the official.
The Congress on Thursday said that “India has already appeased the US President by slashing import duties on some farm produce”. The Congress communication department chief Jairam Ramesh said that India also acquiesced “on Trump’s favourite Harley-Davidson motorcycles”.
Top officials from the Trump administration met Modi on Thursday. The Prime Minister had met US Vice President JD Vance in Paris this week.
Modi Hopes to Elevate India-US Relations with ‘Friend Trump’
Geopolitical analysts, including Michael Kugelman, have been arguing that India should press for a comprehensive trade agreement with the US while Trump wages tariff war with several nations.
The India-US trade has been rising in favour of India for the last few years. The tariff war may also impact India’s trade with the US, warned analysts.
Trump and Modi claim to be friends. But Trump is not making exception for India as reports said that the second military plane has already taken off with illegal Indian immigrants from the US.
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