Modi meeting with Trump in visit meant to boost US-India relationship
The Indian leader is looking to improve relations with the West, which have been frosty after he refused to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump is set to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has heaped praise on him and is hoping to avoid tariffs that the new administration has slapped on other countries in its opening weeks.
Mr Modi is a nationalist and has talked up his warm relationship with Mr Trump during his first term while cheering his winning back the White House.
The Indian leader is looking to improve relations with Washington and the West overall, which have been frosty lately after Mr Modi refused to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.
The trip comes after Mr Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party’s victory during a high-stakes state legislature election last weekend.
The prime minister said before leaving for Washington that the visit was a chance to “deepen our partnership” in key areas such as technology, trade, defence and energy.
The White House visit on Thursday is not likely to be all smiles, though.
Mr Trump has already 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 aluminium he initially imposed during his first term.
Mr Trump has repeatedly dubbed India a “tariff king”.
In response, New Delhi has shown a willingness to buy more American oil while lowering its own tariffs on US goods, including on some Harley-Davidson motorcycles, from 50% to 40%.
Also, India in 2023 dropped retaliatory tariffs on US almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils and walnuts.
Then there’s a recent deal allowing US-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India, and the sale of US-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.
Still, Mr Trump has decried US trade deficits around the world and said he will work to shrink them, including during his meetings at the White House last week with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The US is India’s largest trade partner, but the two countries have a trade deficit of 50 billion dollars in India’s favour.
The Indo-US goods and services trade totalled around 190.1 billion dollars in 2023.
According to India’s External Affairs Ministry, the US exports to India were worth nearly 70 billion dollars and imports 120 billion dollars.
Another topic likely to be discussed is immigration.
Mr Modi can point to India’s having accepted the return of 104 migrants brought back on a US military plane — the first such flight to the country as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and the US-Mexico border.
For the Trump administration, meanwhile, India is seen as integral to the US strategy of containing China in the Indo-Pacific.
Mr Modi’s country is hosting a summit of a group of countries known as the Quad — made up of the US, India, Japan and Australia — later this year.
