On Friday, former US President Donald Trump labeled Indian tariffs as "brutal" but was bullish on future trade relations between the two countries, claiming that he was confident matters would be worked out in a positive manner.
At a White House press briefing, Trump stated these words in reply to a question regarding ongoing trade talks between the United States and India.
"It's brutal… it's brutal," he stated, in reference to India's tariffs. But he went on, "I think it's going to work out very well between India and our country," without disclosing details of any possible tariff increases on Indian imports. These adjustments are set to be made on April 2, as part of a reciprocal tariff system to make U.S. tariffs similar to those of its trading partners.
Trump also spoke highly of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him "a very smart man and a great friend of mine." Reflecting on Modi’s recent White House visit, he noted, "We had very good talks," and further praised him as "a great Prime Minister."
Trade imbalances between the two nations have been a longstanding concern for Trump.
The U.S. trade deficit with India totaled $45.7 billion in 2024, an increase of 5.4% or $2.4 billion compared with the year before, according to figures from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The value of total goods trade between the nations was $129.2 billion for 2024.
U.S. exports to India totaled $41.8 billion, a 3.4% increase ($1.4 billion) from 2023, while imports from America to India hit $87.4 billion, a 4.5% increase ($3.7 billion) from the previous year.
While Trump has teased that exemptions and some leniency will be applied under the new tit-for-tat tariff regime, he has not yet revealed which nations, if any, would qualify.
Trade issues were also a major point of discussion during a telephonic conversation on Friday between India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
"They talked about ongoing efforts to lower trade barriers to get to a balanced and fair bilateral relationship, improve cooperation in defense and technology, and support security and prosperity around the Indo-Pacific region," US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement releasing the details of the conversation.
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