In a gesture marking a thaw in the bilateral frost, US President Donald Trump has confirmed that Washington is continuing trade negotiations with New Delhi.
“I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations,” he posted on Truth Social.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, the former president called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "very good friend" and said he hopes to link with him "in the coming weeks." “I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries,” he added.
The announcement reflects a softer tone from the US after weeks of tense rhetoric. Just last Friday, during a press briefing at the White House, Trump remarked, “I’ll always be friends with Prime Minister Modi” and hailed him as a “great Prime Minister.”
“India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about,” Trump noted.
“Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump's sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Diplomatic interaction also went on this week. On Monday, India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, met with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker. Posting a photo of their meeting on X, Kwatra mentioned that they had a "productive discussion". “Echoed the sentiments of our leaders. Both sides remain engaged through our ongoing bilateral and Quad initiatives, under the forward-looking India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” he added.
These moves follow Trump's recent announcement of a tariff increase on Indian products. On August 27, he imposed a 50 percent duty on Indian imports—twice the previous 25 percent rate—for purchases of Russian oil by New Delhi amid the ongoing Ukraine war.
