Washington, USA — President Donald Trump welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House on Thursday with a bear hug, calling him “a great friend of mine.” Despite the warm reception, Trump issued a stark warning that India would not be exempt from the higher tariffs he has started imposing on U.S. trade partners around the world.
In a joint news conference, Trump, who had previously referred to India as the “tariff king,” criticized India’s import levies as “very unfair and strong.” He declared, “Whatever India charges, we charge them,” suggesting that India’s tariff rates no longer held significant weight in U.S. trade policy.
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Trump, who has focused on reducing the U.S. trade deficit, particularly with countries like China and the European Union, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring fairness in trade relations with India. He suggested that boosting U.S. energy exports to India could help narrow the $50 billion trade deficit, with U.S. exports to India totaling about $70 billion in 2023, while imports were valued at $120 billion. He also emphasized that both countries were working on a major trade deal that could be concluded later this year.
Modi, ever diplomatic, showered praise on Trump, borrowing from the president’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, saying he was determined to “Make India Great Again” or “MIGA.” The two leaders also discussed military cooperation, with Trump confirming that the U.S. would increase its military sales to India by “many millions of dollars,” including the long-awaited F-35 stealth fighter planes.
A key moment during the conference was Trump’s commitment to extraditing one of the 2008 Mumbai attacks’ plotters. He mentioned the case of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was convicted in the U.S. for planning the attack on a Danish newspaper. Trump stated, “He’s going to be going back to India to face justice,” adding that this could be the first of many such extraditions.
Before Modi’s arrival, Trump signed an order to increase tariffs to match the import tax rates that other nations impose, a move that impacts countries globally, including India. Despite these tariff concerns, India has expressed willingness to lower some of its own levies, such as on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and had already reduced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods like almonds, apples, and chickpeas.
In a show of unity, Modi responded to Trump’s focus on tariffs, acknowledging India’s stance of peace despite external perceptions of neutrality, particularly in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine. “India has a side, and that side is of peace,” Modi said, appreciating Trump’s diplomatic engagement with Russia and Ukraine’s leaders earlier in the week.
Trump also used the meeting to highlight his broader economic strategy, noting that he was committed to eliminating U.S. trade deficits with all countries, following similar discussions with leaders from Japan and Israel.
The two leaders touched on other pressing issues, including immigration. Modi confirmed that India would accept the return of illegal Indian immigrants in the U.S., in line with Trump’s hardline stance on immigration. With over 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the U.S., Modi expressed India’s preparedness to take back any verified Indian nationals. Trump reiterated his plan for “mass deportations,” with a specific focus on the rising number of Indian nationals attempting to enter the U.S. through the U.S.-Canada border.
Modi’s visit marks the fourth foreign leader to meet with Trump since his inauguration last month, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Before the White House meeting, Modi had also met with national security adviser Mike Waltz and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
The visit underlined the complexities of U.S.-India relations, balancing trade, military cooperation, and immigration concerns, all while Trump maintains his tough stance on global tariffs.
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