President Donald Trump hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday, and while praising the U.S.-India “special relationship,” Trump warned that India would not be spared from higher tariffs he has begun imposing on U.S. trading partners around the world.
In a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House, Trump slammed the "unfair and very strong tariffs that limit U.S. access to the Indian market." He called it a "huge problem."
The US and India have a $50 billion trade deficit in India’s favor. Indo-US trade in goods and services was estimated at $190.1 billion in 2023. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, US exports to India were worth nearly $70 billion and imports were $120 billion.
Meanwhile, Modi continued his usual praising of Trump. The prime minister said he was determined to “Make India Great Again,” or “MIGA” — a play on the president’s “MAGA” or “Make America Great Again” slogan and movement.
Trump also said he would support the extradition of one of the planners of the 2008 Mumbai attacks — an apparent reference to Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was convicted in 2011 in the US of planning an attack on a Danish newspaper.
"He will be going back to India to face justice," Trump said, adding, "We will be returning him to India very soon" and that such an extradition could be possible again.
Trump also said the US would soon increase military sales to India by "millions of dollars," paving the way for eventually providing India with F-35 stealth fighters — something India has long sought.
Before Modi arrived in the White House, Trump signed an executive order to raise tariffs to match the rates other countries charge on imports. This has implications for U.S. trading partners around the world — including India.
Modi has sought to avoid additional US tariffs and improve ties with Washington and the West as a whole, which have recently cooled after Modi refused to condemn Russia for its war with Ukraine.
Modi is the fourth foreign leader to visit Trump since his inauguration last month, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japan's Ishiba and Jordan's King Abdullah II.
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