US President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at White House on Thursday afternoon (early Friday morning in India). The two vowed to bring "fairness and reciprocity" to their countries' economic relationship, which Trump said would involve reducing US trade deficits and likely raising tariffs.
Trump said the US and India would begin negotiations to increase trade in coming weeks, but also said more US tariffs on Indian goods might be coming from his administration, Associate Press reported.
"Whatever India charges, we charge them," Trump said at a joint news conference. "So frankly, it no longer matters to us that much what they charge." He added, "Really, we want a certain level playing field."
Modi lavished praised on Trump, saying that he's determined to "Make India Great Again," or "MIGA." That's a play on Trump's "MAGA" or "Make America Great Again" catch phrase and movement.
Trump also said the US would soon increase military sales in India by "many millions of dollars," paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighter planes - something the country has long sought.
The US and India have a trade deficit of $50 billion in India's favor. The Indo-US goods and services trade totalled around $190.1 billion in 2023. According to India's External Affairs Ministry, the US exports to India were worth nearly $70 billion and imports $120 billion.
Before the news conference, Trump and Modi greeted each with a hug in the lobby of the West Wing, then met in the Oval Office. Trump called Modi a "great friend" despite just signing an order to increase tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports, affecting American trading partners worldwide - including India.
Modi is looking to avoid US tariffs and to improve relations with Washington and the West overall, which have been frosty lately after Modi refused to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.
Trump previously imposed tariffs on China and says more are coming against the European Union, while threatening similar against Canada and Mexico and expanding tariffs on steel and aluminum he initially imposed during his first term.
Even prior to signing the new round of reciprocal tariffs, however, Trump objected to Indian tariffs. He repeatedly dubbed Modi's country a "tariff king." At the White House, Modi called India's existing tariffs "unfair and very strong."
Even before Modi arrived, New Delhi showed a willingness to buy more American oil and lower its tariffs on U.S. goods, including on some Harley-Davidson motorcycles, from 50% to 40% - moves it took before Modi came to Washington.
Also, India in 2023 dropped retaliatory tariffs on US almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils and walnuts.
Trump has decried US trade deficits around the world and said he'll work to shrink them, including during his meetings at the White House last week with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Modi is the fourth foreign leader to visit Trump since his inauguration last month, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ishiba of Japan and Jordan's King Abdullah II.
Prior to meeting with Trump, Modi sat down with national security adviser Mike Waltz. He also met with billionaire SpaceX founder and top Trump administration official Elon Musk.
While signing the tariffs order in the Oval Office, Trump was asked if Musk spoke with Modi as a government worker or a tech magnate, amid concerns the meeting was related to the billionaire's business dealings.
"India is a very hard place to do business because of the tariffs. They have the highest tariffs, just about in the world, and it's a hard place to do business," Trump said. "No, I would imagine he met possibly because, you know, he's running a company."
